ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Avian Influenza

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who is responsible for licensing avian quarantine centres in the UK; how long such a licence is valid; and how many have been issued for (a) new and (b) existing centres in each year since 2000.

Ben Bradshaw: Commission Decision 2000/666 requires quarantine facilities or centres to be approved by the competent authorities. In England approval is carried out by the State Veterinary Service.
	Each approval lasts for one year and is renewed only after a satisfactory re-inspection.
	Further to my answer given to the hon. Member on 7 November 2005, Official Report, column 6W, current records show that there are 52 bird quarantine facilities and centres in the UK that currently hold licences.

Avian Influenza

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many avian quarantine centres have closed down because their licences were withdrawn in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: Commission Decision 2000/666 requires quarantine facilities or centres to be approved by the competent authority of each member state. In England approval is carried out by the State Veterinary Service (SVS). The SVS has only ever withdrawn the approval for one avian quarantine facility or centre.

Avian Influenza

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans are in place to inform hon. Members of an outbreak of H5N1 within their constituencies; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department will inform hon. Members of an outbreak of highly pathogenic Avian influenza in their constituencies immediately a case is confirmed. This was the practice during the foot and mouth disease epidemic in 2001.

Avian Influenza

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make an assessment of the incidence of avian influenza in other countries.

Ben Bradshaw: To date, there have been incidences of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Thailand, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Romania, Turkey and Croatia.
	Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza, which generally only causes mild disease or no disease at all in birds, is found throughout the world in wild bird populations.
	Defra monitors the global situation closely and undertakes a qualitative risk analysis when new disease incident in an EU member state, a country on the border of the EU or one of the UK's third country trading partners has been notified. These risk assessments are published on the Department's website: http://defraweb/animalh/diseases/monitoring/riskassess.htm.
	Information on the incidence of human influenza internationally is collated and distributed through a number of systems, including the World Health Organisation Influenza Surveillance Programme and the European Influenza Surveillance Scheme. The UK contributes to and receives data from both of these systems.

Avian Influenza

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's recent preparations for a possible outbreak of Avian influenza in the UK.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government already have in place an Exotic Animal Disease Generic Contingency Plan, which includes a section dealing specifically with an outbreak of Avian influenza. This would be invoked immediately if the need arose.
	In addition the Government has:
	Laid regulations which will enable us to implement the contingency plan in an effective manner;
	Worked with our European partners to halt the importation of live wild birds on a temporary basis and impose additional restrictions on pet birds;
	Banned imports of poultry meat and other products from affected areas;
	Put in place surveillance arrangements on certain species of migratory wild birds;
	Worked to stop bird fairs, markets and shows unless an individual risk assessment deems the risk to be low;
	Announced plans for a register with Defra to enable us to have a compete database of poultry holdings;
	Launched a review of avian quarantine arrangements;
	Issued biosecurity advice with the aid of the poultry industry and distributed it to 3,800 vet practices in Great Britain alongside adverts in trade and specialist press.

Avian Influenza

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the latest outbreak of avian influenza in China.

Ben Bradshaw: The UK recognises that the situation continues to develop worldwide. We are monitoring it closely and have stepped up work on surveillance, biosecurity and emergency preparedness.
	When DEFRA is officially notified of a new disease incident in an EU member state, a country on the border of the EU or one of the UK's third country trading partners, we carry out a qualitative risk analysis. These are published on our website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/monitoring/riskassess.htm

Avian Influenza

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether (a) broiler birds are allowed to go to slaughter and (b) replacement chicks are allowed to enter the farm if a flock is in a movement restriction zone;
	(2)  whether eggs will be able to go to the usual market each day if a layer unit is placed in a movement restriction zone;
	(3)  whether eggs will be able to leave the farm if a breeder unit is placed in a movement restriction zone.

Ben Bradshaw: Current legislation bans movements of poultry and hatching eggs within the infected area around an outbreak. However, in certain circumstances, movements will be permitted under license and subject to biosecurity controls. These include:
	(i) broiler birds going for immediate slaughter to a designated slaughterhouse;
	(ii) the movement of day old chicks to premises where there are no other poultry; and
	(iii) the movement of hatching eggs to a designated hatchery, subject to the eggs and their packing being disinfected before dispatch.
	The movement of table eggs from farms in the infected area would be subject to biosecurity controls but the retail trade will not be affected.

Avian Influenza

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) advice her Department has given to and (b) discussions her Department has had with poultry handlers to alert them to the possible dangers of an avian influenza outbreak.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has issued information regarding biosecurity advice and information on how to protect both poultry and workers from the risks of avian influenza.
	We have distributed this guidance material to our partners in the industry who are helping to distribute to their members, who cover the great majority of bird keepers. In addition, the material has been mailed to 3,800 vet practices in Great Britain in order to reach the hobby keeper. We have also placed adverts in trade and specialist press to get biosecurity and surveillance messages across to this same group.
	We have also had regular meetings with major stakeholders in order to keep our industry partners involved and updated with events.

Bees

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to put the supply of medicines for bees under the control of veterinary surgeons and licensed pharmacists.

Ben Bradshaw: All authorised bee medicines in the UK are available as general sale products. There are no plans to put the supply of medicines for bees under the control of veterinary surgeons and licensed pharmacists. Changes in European legislation, implemented by the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2005, require medicines for food producing animals to be POM. This change will take effect on 1 January 2007 before which the Commission are due to produce a list of exemption criteria for the POM requirement. The UK has proposed to the Commission that bee medicines should be in the exempt list.

Bees

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Veterinary Medicines Directorate is taking to ensure that beekeepers can become qualified in the supply of products for the control of varroa mites.

Ben Bradshaw: Currently there is no requirement for a retailer to have any qualifications in order to supply medicines to treat bees in respect of varroasis.
	However, on 1 January 2007 the provision in the Council Directive 2001/82/EC, as amended, which requires all medicines used in the treatment of food-producing animals to be prescription only medicines will come into force. The UK has asked for bee medicines to be exempted from the POM requirement. If this is not agreed, a beekeeper will have to be registered as a suitably qualified person (SQP) if they wish to supply these products. My officials have discussed the SQP requirements with the British Beekeepers Association and are aware of their wish to progress the provision of training for beekeepers as SQPs who are able to prescribe and supply products to treat diseases in bees. The British Beekeepers Association will be meeting the Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority early in 2006 to discuss this. If the exemption is agreed, the current sales arrangements for bee medicines will continue.

Birds

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether Pegasus Birds quarantine centre continues to hold a licence to quarantine birds; and when Pegasus Birds quarantine centre was last inspected.

Ben Bradshaw: Commission Decision 2000/666 requires quarantine facilities or centres to be approved by the competent authority of each member state. In England approval is carried out by the State Veterinary Service (SVS).
	Bird quarantine premises have annual approval visits by a Government Veterinary Officer. They are also visited at least three times by an approved Official Veterinarian during the quarantine period of each consignment.
	The last approval visit for the quarantine premises in Essex was in December 2004. A further approval visit will be required if the owners wish to use the premises for imported birds in the future.

Birds

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what checks were made on (a) Mr. Howard Savage and (b) Mr. Brett Hammond of Pegasus Birds to assess whether it would be appropriate to grant them a licence to quarantine birds.

Ben Bradshaw: Checks are not carried out on individuals submitting applications for approval of quarantine premises.
	The conditions for approving quarantine premises are laid down in Commission Decision 2000/666/EC. Approvals are based on location of premises, structural requirements, management requirements and welfare provisions. Recommendations for approval or non-approval following a veterinary visit can include other known, relevant information.
	Approvals are effective for one year and are dependent on all the laid-down conditions being met. Approvals may be withdrawn at any time should serious deficiencies occur.

Birds

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the possibility that birds that had come into contact with the bird flu virus may have left Pegasus Birds quarantine centre.

Ben Bradshaw: Essex county council is conducting an on-going investigation into the case at the Pegasus Centre. There is no evidence that we are aware of that live birds were removed from the facility during their period of quarantine.

Birds

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether Pegasus Birds quarantine facility in South Fambridge meets all requirements of the licence to quarantine birds.

Ben Bradshaw: Essex county council is conducting an on-going investigation into the Pegasus Centre.

Birds

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many facilities with licences to quarantine birds operate in the UK; and if she will order immediate inspections of them.

Ben Bradshaw: Further to the answer given to the hon. Member for Brecon and Radnorshire (Mr. Williams) on 7 November 2005, Official Report, column 6W, current records show that there are 52 bird quarantine facilities and centres in the UK that hold licences.
	We are currently awaiting an independent review of the avian quarantine system, which is due to report early in December.

Birds

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to prevent (a) deliberate and (b) accidental failures in the implementation of the quarantine rules.

Ben Bradshaw: There is currently an independent review of the avian quarantine system being undertaken. This is due to report early in December.

Birds

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how controls on live wild bird imports at ports of entry will be increased to prevent the smuggling of such birds once a ban on live wild bird imports is in place.

Margaret Beckett: We are working closely with the responsible enforcement authorities and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on the issue of avian influenza. All enforcement authorities are on their guard for signs of illegal trade or movement of birds or poultry products that may be driven underground because of the various bans in place. The UK has asked enforcement authorities in other EU member states to be extra vigilant to protect the EU from further disease.
	HMRC is responsible for action to prevent and detect illegally imported animal products from outside the EU and animals of endangered species covered by CITES (convention on international trade in endangered species). Enforcement control for other imports of animals rests with the SVS agency at the border inspection post and once inland, with the local authority.

Departmental Spending

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding was allocated by her Department to Milton Keynes for (a) capital projects and (b) revenue funding in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: Expenditure information is not currently held by the Department on a constituency basis and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Chapter 8 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis shows the outturn of public expenditure by region.

Fisheries

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps (a) her Department and (b) the EC and other EU member states are taking to monitor the level of cetacean by-catch and standings, with particular reference to that associated with the winter bass fishery.

Ben Bradshaw: Council Regulation EC No. 812/2004 of April 2004, laying down measures concerning incidental catches of cetaceans, requires all member states to implement monitoring schemes with effect from 1 January 2005. These schemes are intended to provide representative data on by-catch in specified fisheries, including pelagic trawling in ICES sub area VII where the winter bass fishery takes place. Member states are required to provide an annual report to the Commission on the implementation of the observer schemes, with the first report due by 1 June 2006. We already have observer schemes in place to enable these requirements to be met.
	In addition, we have recently published on the Defra website a report of Defra-funded research by the Sea Mammal Research Unit on by-catch observations and mitigation work in the UK bass pair trawl fishery in the 2004–05 season. A copy of this report will also be placed in the House Library.
	I am not in a position to comment on the steps taken by other member states to monitor by-catch and strandings. However, Commissioner Borg has recently written to all member states on the subject of cetacean by-catch, stressing the importance of full compliance with the monitoring and reporting obligations of the Council regulation.
	All cetacean species are protected against intentional killing, injury, capture or disturbance under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and since October 1994 are further protected under the Conservation (Natural Habitats, etc.) Regulations 1994 which implement the EC Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Flora and Fauna (the 'Habitats Directive'—92/43/EEC). To help monitor our compliance with the legislation we have since 1990, funded a scheme for recording incidents of stranded cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) around the British Isles.
	The information collected from this project is compared to identify the number of animals stranded and causes of death. If trends are identified, mitigation measures are taken to help prevent further loss of these species. This project has also help to identify a number of new research areas in connection with cetaceans that needed further investigation.

Fisheries

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the ability of (i) decapod crustaceans and (ii) cephalopods to experience pain; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: DEFRA has not directly commissioned any research on the ability of decapod crustaceans or cephalopods to experience pain.
	However, other research evaluated by DEFRA veterinary and scientific advisers shows no evidence that crustaceans are capable of conscious awareness, a prerequisite for experiencing pain.
	The current scientific evidence on the ability of cephalopods to experience pain is less clear-cut. However, the use of certain animals, including cephalopods, in research, is being carefully considered at EU level.

Fisheries

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will list the occasions since 21 March when monitoring of (a) fish stocks and (b) other marine wildlife has been instigated following the loss of a harmful cargo into the sea, giving in each case (i) the nature of the cargo, (ii) the period of monitoring and (iii) the results of that monitoring;
	(2)  what monitoring of (a) fish stocks and (b) other marine wildlife occurs in parts of UK waters where harmful cargoes are known to have been lost overboard.

Ben Bradshaw: There have been no such occasions since 21 March.
	For English waters the Department assesses whether any environmental impact assessment is required following a pollution incident or loss of a hazardous cargo that may cause pollution, and makes arrangements for its preparation. The devolved Administrations make their own arrangements.
	The last such assessment in the UK was requested by the Secretary of State for Wales on 27 March 1996 following the Sea Empress Incident. The Sea Empress Environmental Evaluation Committee published its report in 1998—The Environmental Impact of the Sea Empress Oil Spill", the Stationery Office, ISBN 0–11–702156–3.
	The Department does carry out regular monitoring of fish stocks and marine wildlife throughout our waters, in addition to any special studies required following pollution incidents. A wide variety of monitoring stations are in use to obtain a thorough overview. This may include monitoring stations in parts of UK waters where harmful cargoes are known to have been lost overboard, but they were not placed there specifically because of cargo loss. The most recent report of these regular monitoring activities is set out in Charting progress: an integrated assessment of the state of UK seas" was published on 1 March 2005. A copy was placed in the Library of the House, and it can be downloaded from DEFRA's website:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/marine/uk/stateofsea/index.htm

Fisheries

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many incidents in the last year for which figures are available of (a) marine pollution and (b) coastal pollution have resulted in (i) court actions and (ii) fines; and what the (A) nature and (B) level of (i) conviction and (ii) financial penalty was in each case.

Ben Bradshaw: Information is not held in this form.
	The Department's Sea Fisheries Inspectorate carried out a prosecution on behalf of DEFRA in 2004 following deposits of dredged material into the sea without the required licence under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 for the deposit of substances and articles in the sea. One of the joint defendants was fined £40,000 and the other £20,000.
	The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) of the Department for Transport have carried out one prosecution this year following dumping of garbage including sleeping bags, polystyrene and plastic bags into the sea under the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Garbage) Regulations 1998. The defendant was fined £2,000.
	The Maritime and Coastguard Agency have carried out two prosecutions this year following breaches of the UK maritime pollution legislation. One defendant was fined £20,000 and £11,344 costs and the other defendant was fined £5,000 and £4,379.70 costs.
	The MCA sponsor the Advisory Committee for the Protection of the Sea to produce an annual survey of reported discharges attributed to vessels and offshore oil and gas installations. The report for 2004 records 10 successful prosecutions for oil pollution offences. Total fines imposed by the competent authorities which included ports and harbours amounted to £122,200, providing a mean value of £12,200.
	The Environment Agency (who have regulatory powers in coastal waters up to three miles offshore) have recorded 11 minor marine" incidents in 2004 for which no formal enforcement action was taken.
	The Department of Trade and Industry carried out a prosecution this year following an unpermitted discharge of an offshore chemical under the Offshore Chemicals Regulations 2002. The offshore platform operator was fined £3,000 in a Scottish Court.

Landfill

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many suitably engineered commercial licensed landfill sites are capable of processing a consignment of bird carcases; where they are situated; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 17 November 2005
	In consultation with the Environment Agency, officials are currently reviewing the suitability for poultry carcase disposal of all commercial licensed landfills. Once this review is complete a list of potentially suitable sites will be made public.

Landfill

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many suitably engineered commercial licensed landfill sites are under construction.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 17 November 2005
	Defra and the Environment Agency will only consider commercial licensed landfills for carcase disposal that are already in operation. The review of potentially suitable sites will therefore not assess any sites that are under construction.

Landfill

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the risk of transmission of Avian influenza by birds scavenging infected carcasses buried in suitably engineered commercial licensed landfills.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 17 November 2005
	It is acknowledged that if scavenging birds were to come into direct contact with the carcases of infected birds that had recently died or been killed for disease control purposes, there is a small risk of them becoming infected and transmitting the disease to other birds.
	In the event that commercial licensed landfill was used for carcase disposal this risk would be mitigated by ensuring that carcases were immediately covered with other material to a depth of at least 1 m and that at the end of each working day, carcases were covered by at least 2 m of cover material. All sites used for carcase disposal will have Pollution, Prevention and Control (PPC) conditions in place as well as a bespoke bird deterrent/management plan drawn up and implemented by bird control experts from the Central Science Laboratory.

Landfill

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of whether there is sufficient capacity in suitably engineered commercial licensed landfills to dispose of the projected number of bird carcases infected with Avian influenza in the event of incineration capacity being fully utilised.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 17 November 2005
	Officials are working with the Environment Agency to review the capacity of suitably licensed landfills for the disposal of infected poultry carcases, in the event that there is insufficient capacity at incineration and rendering plants. Based on the capacity as assessed following the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001, officials advise that there would be more than sufficient capacity in commercial licensed landfill to dispose of the projected number of poultry carcases.

Live Animals (Transport)

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received on the imposition of a maximum time limit on the transport of live animals.

Margaret Beckett: Representations have been made by welfare organisations and individuals to limit the length of time animals could be transported to slaughter. However, agreement on journey times could not be reached by a majority of member states in negotiations on new welfare during transport rules last year. We will continue to press for improvements in the review of these rules, which is to take place in 2011.

Ministerial Visits

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times she has visited (a) Dacorum and (b) Hertfordshire in her official capacity in the past 12 months; and what the purpose was of each visit.

Margaret Beckett: My official duties have not involved visits to either location in the past 12 months.

Special Advisers

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the special advisers in post in her Department, broken down by pay band; and what the total budgeted cost to her Department of special advisers is for 2005–06.

Margaret Beckett: Since 2003, the Government has published on an annual basis the names and overall cost of special advisers and the number in each pay band. For the most recent information I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Prime Minister on Thursday 21 July 2005, Official Report, columns 158–162WS.
	Information on the numbers of special advisers prior to 2003 was provided at regular intervals and this information will be available in the Library of the House.

Tidal Surges (Essex)

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimates have been made of the (a) probabilities and (b) heights of tidal surges affecting the Essex coastline in each of the next five decades; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Defra has policy responsibility for flood risk management in England. The principal authority with operational responsibility is the Environment Agency. The agency has undertaken no work to assign future probabilities to surge height estimates along the Essex coast. However, detailed studies have been completed to determine peak water levels for design and planning purposes along the Thames Estuary. These water levels are projected into the future by applying the Defra precautionary allowances for the effects of sea level rise. The Environment Agency has commissioned research to better understand future probabilities of sea levels in the Southern North Sea.

Veterinary Surgeons

David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on proposals to review the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966; and what the arrangements are for public consultation on such a review.

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to bring in a bill dealing with veterinary misconduct.

Ben Bradshaw: We issued a consultation document on the modernisation of the Veterinary Surgeons Act on 24 September 2003. The Government remain committed to introducing new proposals concerning the regulation of the veterinary profession. It is important that we reflect the way that veterinary services have changed and the need for regulatory bodies and professions as a whole to be accountable and transparent in their dealings with their customers. There is particular need for change in relation to the procedures that govern the way that complaints about the conduct of veterinary surgeons are handled.
	We are developing options on which to base a draft Bill and will ensure that there is appropriate consultation of stakeholders.

Waste

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to promote waste minimisation alongside household waste recycling; and what measures are used to gauge progress.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 15 November 2005
	Waste minimisation is at the top of the waste hierarchy set out in the Government's Waste Strategy 2000. That strategy is itself currently under review, but there is no question of our downplaying the role of minimisation in future.
	Currently waste minimisation is incentivised by a wide range of policy drivers, including notably the landfill tax escalator, landfill allowance trading scheme (LATS), the waste minimisation work of the Waste Resources and Action Programme (WRAP) and the tonnage recovery and recycling obligations in the packaging Regulations which encourage businesses to reduce the amount of packaging going through their companies.
	A number of measures are used to gauge the success of waste minimisation policies including statistics on waste arisings and other forms of research.

Wind Farms

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the availability of the terms of consents for wind farm applications under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 in response to requests for access from local groups.

Ben Bradshaw: In addition to a consent under the Electricity Act 1989 (or an Order under the Transport and Works Act 1992), the construction of an offshore wind farm also requires a licence under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985.
	Any such licence and the terms and conditions which it applies, are available to the public by virtue of the Deposits in the Sea (Public registers of Information) Regulations 1996 and may be inspected at the offices of the licensing authority.

Wind Farms

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether account is taken of science-based evidence provided by local groups within proceedings to consider consents for wind farms under the Food and Environment Act 1985.

Ben Bradshaw: The construction of an offshore wind farm requires both a consent under the Electricity Act 1989 (or an Order under the Transport and Works Act 1992) and a licence under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985.
	Proposed marine wind farms are subject to environmental impact assessment by Regulators under the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2000 (or Transport and Works (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 2000 (England and Wales)); the Environmental Statement being advertised for public inspection.
	Comments and representations made in response to this consultation process together with any views expressed by a range of other stakeholders will be taken into account by the consenting and licensing authorities in determining whether to grant approval to the project and, if so, any terms and conditions that will apply.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Army Prosecuting Authority

Chris Mullin: To ask the Solicitor-General what arrangements exist for independent inspection of the Army Prosecuting Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: At present no arrangements exist for an independent inspection of the Army Prosecution Authority.

Departmental Skills Development Plan

Nick Gibb: To ask the Solicitor-General if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's Skills Development Plan.

Mike O'Brien: I am answering this question on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Treasury Solicitor's Department (TSol), Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office (RCPO) and HMCPS Inspectorate (HMCPSI).
	The CPS, as the largest of my departments has a skills strategy, which is part of their workforce development plan. I will place a copy in the Library.
	TSol addresses its skills and development needs via its annual training and development plan. This plan aims to ensure that everyone in TSol has the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to undertake their jobs effectively and to realise their potential. A copy of this plan will be placed in the Library.
	SFO currently does not have a departmental skills development plan; and RCPO as a new department has yet to devise its detailed training and development plan.
	HMCPSI is considering how best to take forward its skills development plan in the context of the specialist nature of inspection work, the requirements of professional skills for Government and the work of the Government legal service. Many of HMCPSI staff are on loan to the Inspectorate and will fall within the remit of their parent Department skills development plans.

Domestic Violence

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Solicitor-General how many prosecutions for domestic violence in the jurisdiction of London courts have (a) come to court and (b) resulted in conviction in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: During the year April 2004 to March 2005, there were a total of 2,807 prosecutions for domestic violence in the jurisdiction of the London courts. Of these, 1.365 (48.6 per cent.) were convicted, 1,187 (42.3 per cent.) were dropped, and 255 (9.1 per cent.) were acquitted.
	For the current year from 1 April 2005 to 9 November 2005, there were a total of 2,568 prosecutions for domestic violence. Of these 1,330 (51.8 per cent.) were convicted, 995 (38.7 per cent.) were dropped and 243 (9.5 per cent.) were acquitted.
	Comparable figures are not held for previous years.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Spending

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on items of art in 2004–05.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office has not spent any money on the purchase of works of art in 2004–05.

Scottish Grand Committee

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many meetings of the Scottish Grand Committee there were in (a) 2004 and (b) to date in 2005; where the meetings were held; and what the subject matter of debate was in each case.

David Cairns: There have been no meetings of the Scottish Grand Committee in the period stated and neither have there been any requests for meetings.

TRANSPORT

Carbon Management Programme

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department will sign up to the Carbon Trust's carbon management programme.

Karen Buck: The Department will consider joining the carbon management programme and officials have made contact with the Carbon Trust regarding this initiative. A decision will be taken in light of these discussions and after the Defra experiences have been evaluated.
	The Department has already pledged to offset the carbon dioxide from DfT official air travel as part of a Government wide commitment and is leading a pan-government contract to facilitate the purchase of emission reductions generated by a Clean Development Mechanism project or portfolio of projects. This project, or projects, will need to provide Certified Emissions Reductions to offset at least 100,000t CO 2 emissions, associated with pan-government air travel, per year and provide significant and quantified sustainable development benefits.

Cargo Transfers

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what measures are in place to allow relevant local authorities a role in the supervision of ship-to-ship cargo transfer operations in estuaries around the UK coast;
	(2)  what account he will take of the protection of the marine environment when he decides on the application by Melbourne Marine Services for ship-to-ship cargo operations in the Firth of Forth;
	(3)  when he expects to make a decision on the application by Melbourne Marine Services for ship-to-ship cargo transfer operations in the Firth of Forth.

Stephen Ladyman: Local authorities do not have a role in the supervision of ship-to-ship cargo transfer operations.
	The application which has been submitted to the Department's Maritime and Coastguard Agency is from Forth Ports plc, and relates to the oil spill contingency plan for Forth Ports plc's harbour authority area and its revision and amplification to address the specific risks associated with ship-to-ship transfers of oil in that harbour authority area. The Secretary of State for Transport does not decide whether a ship-to-ship transfer may or may not take place. The MCA's role is limited to approving harbour authorities' oil spill contingency plans which address the potential risks of such activities.
	As the Secretary of State for Transport announced today, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is to co-ordinate a public consultation to assess the implications for relevant nature conservation sites of Forth Ports plc's revised and amplified oil spill contingency plan. The consultation will last 12 weeks, and is designed to establish whether the revised and amplified plan will adversely affect the integrity of those nature conservation sites.
	At the end of this process, in the light of the consultation responses and taking into account the advice of Scottish Natural Heritage, the statutory nature conservation authority, the MCA will finalise its appropriate assessment and consider whether any amendments to the plan are needed.

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Department takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses while working for his Department and its agencies.

Karen Buck: Where a consultant incurs travel and subsistence expenses as a result of carrying out contracted service for the Department, the costs will either be included in the tendered price or recovered separately, depending on the nature of the work and the amount of travel involved.
	Where expenses are included in the tendered price, the Department's conditions of contract stipulate that the rates shall not exceed the upper limit of allowances payable to departmental staff of equivalent status. Where expenses are recovered separately they are reimbursed at cost, subject the upper limit of allowances payable to departmental staff of equivalent status.
	The Department's conditions of contract make it clear that any travel undertaken as a consequence of performing the contract must utilise the most effective means (taking into account the cost of travel, the cost of meals and accommodation and savings in time) for the whole journey, and that claims for travelling and subsistence must be related to the performance of the duties for the purposes of the contract, and be certified as such. Visits abroad require the prior approval of the Department.
	It is the responsibility of the Department's contract manager in each case to ensure that all invoices submitted by the consultant are in accordance with the Department's terms and conditions of contract.

Departmental Assets

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the 10 most valuable (a) movable and (b) immovable assets owned by his Department.

Karen Buck: The information is as follows:
	
		Departments 10 highest movable and immovable assets
		
			   £ 
		
		
			 Movable assets   
			 Cnis System Replacement MCA 2,097,774 
			 Automatic Identification Sys MCA 1,348,547 
			 Data Warehouse MCA 592,655 
			 ICCS Milford Haven Comms MCA 460,072 
			 Road Inspection Vehicle HA 888,000 
			 SAP System DSA 1,355,000 
			 Internet Booking System DSA 701,000 
			 ASR System DSA 671,000 
			 PCs in Test Centres Network DSA 443,000 
			 Sciter digital printers DVLA 1,825,300 
			
			 Immovable assets   
			 Channel Tunnel Rail Link Land DfT (c) 1,554,100,000 
			 Transport Direct Portal DfT (c) 23,715,970 
			 IMO Building—4 Albert Embankment DfT (c) 21,816,387 
			 Trunk Road Network HA 72,144,374,000 
			 Land at Dartford HA 35,989,000 
			 National Traffice Control Centre HA 46,714,000 
			 Directs Road User DfT(c) 8,739,607 
			 Cardington Training Centre (Freehold) DSA 7,513,000 
			 Main HQ, York SRA 13,000,000 
			 Kew Bridge North SRA 9,000,000

Departmental Equipment

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) mobile phones, (b) lap top computers and (c) desk top computers there are within the Department; and what their cost to the Department was in 2004–05.

Karen Buck: The information for the Department and its agencies is as follows:
	DfT HQ
	The requested information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The following figures are estimates based on the available information.
	
		
			  Number Cost in 2004–05 (£) 
		
		
			 Mobile phones 724 48,289 
			 Lap top computers 778 151,219 
			 Desk top computers 2,113 633,121.70 
		
	
	
		DSA
		
			  Number Cost in 2004–05 (£) 
		
		
			 Mobile phones 222 41,523.29 
			 Lap top computers 132 (1)— 
			 Desk top computers 1,394 (1)— 
		
	
	(1) Information on the costs of lap top and desk top computers in 2004–05 is not available as the period covered the transition from one managed service contract to another. Such information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		DVLA
		
			  Number Cost in 2004–05 (£) 
		
		
			 Mobile phones 452 34,521.86 
			 Lap top computers 307 16,746.56 
			 Desk top computers 8,668 89,863.64 
		
	
	
		Highways Agency
		
			  Number Cost in 2004–05 (£) 
		
		
			 Mobile phones 1,066 233,056.90 
			 Lap top computers 753 78,397.18 
			 Desk top computers (2)2,887 530,499.64 
		
	
	(2) Includes 46 thin client terminals.
	
		MCA
		
			  Number Cost in 2004–05 (£) 
		
		
			 Mobile phones 474 142,246 
			 Lap top computers 451 42,580 
			 Desk top computers 857 16,020 
		
	
	
		VCA
		
			  Number Cost in 2004–05 (£) 
		
		
			 Mobile phones 58 1,747 
			 Lap top computers 54 42,000 
			 Desk top computers 56 30,000 
		
	
	
		VOSA
		
			  Number Cost in 2004–05 (£) 
		
		
			 Mobile phones 1,079 357,008 
			 Lap top computers 1,010 n/a 
			 Desk top computers 1,240 n/a 
		
	
	n/a = not available
	Notes:
	1. The numbers of lap top and desk top computers were those in use at the end of March 2005.
	2. It is not possible to determine the cost of lap top and desktop computers in 2004–05 as VOSA pay Atos Origin on a managed service basis, rather than for just the supply of equipment. Therefore, the equipment costs are wrapped up into a monthly charge for service provision (including all network costs, software, hardware, the helpdesk etc.).

Heavy Goods Vehicles

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many responses were received to the consultation on applications of conspicuity markings to heavy vehicles; and how many were (a) for and (b) against change.

Stephen Ladyman: We received 71 responses to the consultation, of which 55 supported the mandatory fitment of conspicuity markings. Seven responses were opposed and the remainder expressed no clear opinion.
	Among those opposed were major trade bodies, who represent the views of members operating over 200,000 goods vehicles and so represent a significant level of opposition to mandatory conspicuity marking.
	A note about responses to the consultation is in preparation and will be published shortly on the Department for Transport website.

Heavy Goods Vehicles

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 17th October 2005, Official Report, column 678W, on heavy goods vehicles, why the United Kingdom opposed the proposal made at the GRE Committee of the UNECE to make ECE 104 retro-reflective tape mandatory on the side and rear of heavy goods vehicles; and how many countries (a) supported and (b) opposed the United Kingdom's position.

Stephen Ladyman: We have been concerned that the mandatory use of retro-reflective marking tape will add additional burdens on the haulage industry associated with the cost of fitting and maintaining the tape. In light of this the UK proposed that fitment of the tape should be optional.
	None of the other countries present at the meeting supported the UK position and in view of this the UK has agreed to the amendment of UNECE regulations to mandate the use of retro-reflective marking tape.

Hybrid Cars

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many hybrid petrol/electric cars have been sold in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: The following table shows the number of hybrid electric cars newly registered in the UK from January 2001 to September 2005 according to the Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Agency database.
	
		
			  Number of hybrid cars (petrol/electric) 
		
		
			 2001 569 
			 2002 283 
			 2003 374 
			 2004 1,569 
			 2005 (to September) 4,061

Invalid Carriages

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will publish the report of the Consultation on the Transport Review of Class 2 and Class 3 Powered Wheelchairs and Powered Scooters (Invalid Carriages); and if he will make a statement.

Karen Buck: The research into the use of these vehicles has been completed and we are considering the recommendations made in the final report and we hope to publish it before the end of this year.

Merseytram Services

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely impact of Merseytram Line 1 on regeneration in Merseyside.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 8 November 2005
	It is for scheme promoters to undertake a detailed assessment of the impact of their light rail scheme on regeneration, as part of their bid for major scheme funding. Merseytravel submitted its Economic Impact Report for Merseytram Line 1 in December 2004.
	The Department considered that the promoters' assessment of regeneration and employment impacts had overstated the creation of additional jobs.

Ministerial Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent in each year from 1 May 1997 on ministerial travel arrangements, broken down by (a) provision and running costs of vehicular transport, (b) first class travel by rail, (c) standard class travel by rail, (d) first class travel by air, (e) club or equivalent class travel by air and (f) economy class travel by air.

Karen Buck: All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
	In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report information for the financial years 1995–96 to 2004–05. Information for 2005–06 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the current financial year.
	The Department for Transport was formed on 29 May 2002 and gained an additional Minister in July 2003. Travel and subsistence costs incurred by Ministers and their private office staff when travelling in the United Kingdom during each financial year are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 29 May 2002 to 31 March 2003 22,311 
			 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 47,880 
			 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 51,840 
		
	
	Ministers use a variety of public transport services when undertaking departmental business. However, information about the mode and class of transport used by Ministers on departmental business is not held centrally and cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
	My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office (Mr. Murphy) has asked Roy Burke, Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) to write to the hon. Member with details of costs of ministerial vehicles provided to Departments in 2004–05. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Library.
	For information for the financial years 2000–01 to 2003–04 I refer the hon. Member to the letters from the Chief Executive of the GCDA to the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) dated 10 January 2005 and to the then hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Howard Flight) dated 13 September 2003. Copies of these letters are available in the Library.

Ministerial Travel

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list, for each year since 1995, the number of flights, including helicopter flights, taken by Ministers within his Department for UK and overseas visits; on how many occasions (a) charter flights were used and (b) first and club class tickets were obtained; and if he will indicate who accompanied the Ministers on each trip.

Karen Buck: The detailed information requested can not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
	However, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The list indicates when non-scheduled flights were used, and shows how many Officials accompanied Ministers in those circumstances. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report information for the financial years 1995–96 to 2004–05. Information for 2005–06 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the current financial year.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code" and Travel by Ministers", copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Motorways

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of motorway in England have been resurfaced across their entire width with a noise suppressing surface.

Stephen Ladyman: The motorway network comprises 3,593 miles of two and three lane carriageway, of which 680 miles has been resurfaced with quieter surfacing across all respective carriageway lanes.
	The Highways Agency does not record motorway carriageway data on a route basis. The motorway and trunk road network is managed on the basis of the two individual carriageways that comprise a motorway route (ie one carriageway in each direction); information for a complete width of motorway along a prescribed route cannot therefore be readily reported.

Motorways

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many kilometres of motorway received quiet surfacing in all lanes in (a) 2004, (b) 2003 and (c) 2002; and what percentage of the highway network each figure represents.

Stephen Ladyman: Motorway carriageway lengths that were resurfaced with quieter surfacing in all lanes and in both directions in each of the identified years, together with the associated percentage of the motorway network are shown in the table:
	
		
			  Carriageway length (km) % of motorway network 
		
		
			 2002 146 2.5 
			 2003 241 4.2 
			 2004 97 1.7

Motorways

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the stretches of the M40 across which all lanes have been resurfaced with a noise suppressing surface; and what the length of the stretch involved is in each case.

Stephen Ladyman: The lengths of M40 motorway that have surfacing with noise reducing properties across all running lanes (not including the hardshoulder) are as follows:
	
		
			 Location Carriageway direction Length (metres) 
		
		
			 2,200m north of J1A to 900m north of J4 Both 17,000 
			 5,800m north of J4 to 5,960m north of J4 Both 160 
			 200m south of J5 to 300m north of J5 South 500 
			 170m south of J6 to 1,050m north of J6 Both 1,220 
			 1,100m north of J6 to 2,080m north of J6 Both 980 
			 2,130m north of J6 to 100m north of J8 Both 8,370 
			 400m north of J8A to 800m north of J8A South 400 
			 5,400m north of J8A to 5,500m north of J8A South 100 
			 5,700m north of J8A to 5,860m north of J8A South 160 
			 5,860m north of J8A to 5,880m north of J8A Both 20 
			 5,880m north of J8A to 5,900m north of J8A South 20 
			 6,800m south of J9 to 6,700m south of J9 North 100 
			 3,830m south of J10 to 3,760m south of J10 South 70 
			 2,600m south of J10 to 2,300m south of J10 North 300 
			 2,300m south of J10 to 2,100m south of J10 Both 200 
			 1,100m south of J10 to 1,000m south of J10 North 100 
			 5,900m north of J10 to 5,960m north of J10 South 60 
			 6,000m north of J10 to 6,100m north of J10 North 100 
			 7,000m north of J10 to 7,100m north of J10 Both 100 
			 7,500m south of J11 to 7,400m south of J11 Both 100 
			 7,000m south of J11 to 6,900m south of J11 South 100 
			 6,900m south of J11 to 6,800m south of J1 1 North 100 
			 5,200m south of J11 to 5,100m south of J11 North 100 
			 3,500m south of J11 to 3,300m south of J11 South 200 
			 3,300m south of J11 to 3,200m south of J11 Both 100 
			 2,900m south of J11 to 2,800m south of J11 Both 100 
			 2,500m south of J11 to 2,400m south of J11 Both 100 
			 700m north of J11 to 900m north of J11 Both 200 
			 1,200m north of J11 to 1,300m north of J11 Both 100 
			 1,300m north of J11 to 1,400m north of J11 South 100 
			 1,600m north of J11 to 1,700m north of J11 Both 100 
			 1,800m north of J11 to 1,900m north of J11 North 100 
			 5,600m north of J11 to 5,700m north of J11 North 100 
			 8,290m south of J12 to 8,210m south of J12 North 80 
			 5,800m south of J12 to 5,520m south of J12 South 280 
			 5,200m south of J12 to 5,100m south of J12 North 100 
			 1 ,400m south of J12 to 1,300m south of J12 South 100 
			 2,100m north of J12 to 2,400m north of J12 South 300 
			 3,400m north of J12 to 3,600m north of J12 Both 200 
			 4,600m south of J13 to 4,400m south of J13 Both 200 
			 4,400m south of J13 to 4,100m south of J13 South 300 
			 4,000m south of J13 to 2,800m south of J13 North 1,200 
			 1,400m north of J13 to 900m north of J14 South 2,200 
			 900m north of J14 to 1,000m north of J14 Both 100 
			 1,000m north of J14 to 300m south of J15 South 800 
			 10,800m north of J15 to 10,900m north of J15 South 100 
			 11,220m north of J15 to 11,290m north of J15 South 70

National Port Traffic

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects consultation will begin on a national ports strategy.

Stephen Ladyman: We expect to begin consultation early next year. General discussions have been held with some major stakeholders.

Ports Policy

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what date has been set for the release of the forthcoming review of ports policy.

Stephen Ladyman: We expect to issue a discussion document early next year.

Railways

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether franchises for passenger rail services specify the proportion of standard class carriages to first class carriages that must be provided on intercity routes.

Derek Twigg: When letting new franchises, it is at a bidder's discretion to specify what proportion of standard class to first class carriages on intercity routes it will provide.

Road Accidents (Cumbria)

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) pedestrians, (b) cyclists, (c) drivers and (d) car occupants have been (i) injured and (ii) killed in Cumbria in each of the last six years for which figures are available.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of killed and injured pedestrian, cyclist, driver and car occupant casualties in Cumbria are given in the following table for the years 1999 to 2004.
	
		
			  Pedestrians Cyclists Drivers(3) Car Occupants(4) 
			  Killed Injured(5) Killed Injured(5) Killed Injured(5) Killed Injured(5) 
		
		
			 1999 9 292 1 151 37 1,526 44 2,024 
			 2000 11 252 1 135 31 1,465 34 1,914 
			 2001 7 257 2 133 30 1,454 30 1,873 
			 2002 10 265 3 138 27 1,547 25 1,977 
			 2003 5 250 0 139 35 1,511 32 1,867 
			 2004 7 291 3 118 28 1,486 37 1,853 
		
	
	(3) Drivers of all motor vehicles.
	(4) Includes both car drivers and passengers. Car drivers have been counted in both the car occupants and drivers columns.
	(5) Includes both serious and slight injuries.

Speed Limits

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the procedure for changing speed limits on A roads was last reviewed; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 17 November 2005
	The Government has no current plans to review the national speed limits for which it is responsible, namely:
	70 mph for motorways and dual carriageways;
	60 mph for single carriageway roads;
	30 mph for urban street-lit roads ('restricted roads').
	Where they feel that the national limit does not reflect local needs and considerations, traffic authorities (local highway authorities and the Highways Agency) have the powers to set local speed limits through section 84 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. This power applies to their entire road network, irrespective of the classification of roads (A, B, C and Unclassified roads).
	To help ensure consistency in the setting of local speed limits, the Department has issued guidance, currently set out in Circular Roads 1/93. Many developments have taken place in speed management since 1993, and the Department consulted on draft updated guidance on setting local speed limits at the end of 2004. As well as further improving clarity and consistency, the draft seeks to re-emphasise that the function of a road should be one of the important factors in determining what an appropriate speed is. It will also incorporate important wider factors such as quality of life through, for example, striking a more sensible balance between road safety, accessibility and environmental objectives, especially in rural areas.
	The updated guidance on the setting of local speed limits will be published shortly.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Abingdon Green Ticket Booth

Kevan Jones: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the cost of providing the ticket-booth on Abingdon Green during the summer was; and who bears the cost.

Nick Harvey: The cost of erecting and fitting out the ticket booth at the beginning of the season and taking it down at the end amounted to some £73,000. Electricity used during the summer opening is estimated to have cost some £230. 60 per cent. of these costs are borne by the House of Commons and the remainder by the House of Lords.

Cleaners' Pay

Lynne Jones: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the oral answer of 18 October 2005, Official Report, column 699, on cleaners' pay and conditions, if the Commission will meet the Transport and General Workers Union and the employers of the contract cleaners employed on the Parliamentary Estate; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The Commission has no plans for such a meeting. The current dispute is between the employers and their employees. I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 15 November 2005, Official Report, column 1102W.

Information Office

Anthony Steen: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many enquiries the House of Commons Information Office has received in each of the past three years; how many members of staff it employs; and what the cost has been of providing the service in each of the last three years.

Nick Harvey: The following table shows the information requested:
	
		
			 Financial year: 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Enquiries
			 Number of enquiries received 75,700 64,720 58,067 
			 
			 Staff
			 Full-time equivalents in post at year-end 12.5 12.5 12.5 
			 
			 Finance (£000)
			 Total identifiable costs(6) 426.5 442.2 431.5 
			 of which:
			 Staff costs(7) 344.9 345.0 319.7 
		
	
	(6) Figures exclude costs which cannot be identified separately from the Library's budget (stationery, publications, training, IT support, postage) and costs which are not included in departmental budgets (IT network, telephones, accommodation, utilities).
	(7) Includes provision for pension liabilities, calculated as 17 per cent. of basic pay.
	The number of enquiries received has declined over the last three years as the House of Commons Information Office has made more information generally available to the public via the Parliamentary website. This includes the Weekly Information Bulletin, factsheets about the work and history of the House, the Constituency Locata service and, most recently, Commons Knowledge, a newsletter providing information on forthcoming business, following the Commission's agreement to a recommendation made by the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Business Incentives

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the initiatives, awards and grant programmes offered by his Department for (a) small businesses and (b) all businesses.

Alun Michael: holding answer 7 November 2005
	The national Business Link website—www.businesslink.gov.uk—contains advice and information on support available to businesses, whether directly from the Department or via Business Link and many other sources.

Carbon Offset Scheme

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much is planned to be spent by (a) his Department and (b) each agency of his Department in (i) the 2005–06 financial year and (ii) each of the next four financial years on the carbon offset scheme; how many flights are planned to be subject to the scheme in each case; what the distance of those flights is; and what carbon dioxide emissions are planned to be offset in each case.

Alan Johnson: The interdepartmental scheme to offset carbon emissions from UK official air travel will come into effect from April 2006. The scheme is currently being developed by an interdepartmental working group led by DEFRA but the formula for calculating the level of contributions required to be made by Departments has yet to be agreed. My Department does not yet have firm forecasts of the level of carbon dioxide emissions to be used in order to calculate the expenditure required. It is assumed that all departmental UK and overseas flights will be covered by the scheme.
	Contributions to the scheme are due to start in the financial year 2006–07. The scheme is currently only focusing on core government departments and not their agencies so any figures will exclude air travel by my Department's agencies.
	The scheme also covers travel and other energy usage associated with events hosted for the EU presidency and contributions to the scheme will be made in 2006–07 to cover carbon offsets; Defra are in the process of developing the formula to calculate the level of contributions required.

Company Communications

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the proportion of company shareholders who would prefer to receive company communications in electronic form.

Barry Gardiner: Consultation to the White Paper on Company Law Reform published in March this year revealed broad support for the Government's proposals to facilitate greater use of electronic communications. Initial estimates prepared with the help of interested stakeholders suggest cost-savings in the region of £47 million per annum for FTSE-listed companies and a likely take-up of hard copy information by 0.3 per cent. to 5 per cent. of shareholders.
	The Government recognise that shareholders should be able to receive company communications in a form which is convenient to them. That is why the Company Law Reform Bill will enable shareholders to approve the use of electronic communications, but permit the legal titleholder of the share to receive documents in hard copy.

Company Directors

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he will take to ensure that company shareholders without access to the internet do not become disenfranchised from exercising their rights as shareholders if a company opts to communicate through electronic means.

Alun Michael: holding answer 10 November 2005
	The Company Law Reform Bill will allow companies to use electronic communications with their members. This will enable companies and their members to benefit from the immediacy of electronic dialogue. However, the Government recognise that electronic communications will not suit everyone. A change to the use of electronic communications will need to be approved by a resolution of the members of the company. In addition, a member, that is the legal titleholder to shares, will have the right to require the company to send a hard copy version of documents or information.
	The Bill also provides a power for the Secretary of State to make regulations to require companies to send documents or information to a person or persons nominated by the member. Such persons could, for example, be those investing in shares through intermediaries. The regulations may require documents or information to be supplied to nominated persons in hard copy form, if the Secretary of State is satisfied that the additional benefits to nominated persons would outweigh the likely costs resulting from such an obligation.

Contingency Planning (Power Supplies)

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what range of scenarios the Government Chief Scientific Adviser is considering in terms of oil and gas reserves for contingency planning purposes.

Barry Gardiner: Currently, the Office of Science and Technology, headed by the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, is reviewing a large number of issues through its Horizon Scanning Centre and Foresight programme. Energy is one of these issues.
	The selection of future Foresight projects requires that the projects must tackle issues which look ahead at least 10 years, are driven by science and technology, have outcomes that can be influenced, are not covered by work carried on elsewhere, require an inter-disciplinary approach and command support from other organisations.
	It is too soon to consider the range of scenarios that might be explored in any of these future projects.
	Energy contingency planning is primarily carried out by the DTI's Energy Group.

Departmental Contracts (Direct Mail)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many contracts were signed by his Department in (a) 2005–06 to date and (b) 2004–05 for direct mail; and what the value was in each case.

Alun Michael: The Department of Trade and Industry, through the Strategy and Communications Unit, have spent the following amounts on direct mail:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2004–05  
			 Queens Awards 115,473 
			 Dispute Resolution 491,655 
			 Information and consultation 85,250 
			 Total 692,378 
			   
			 2005–06  
			 Queens Awards 90,000 
			 National Minimum Wage 997.53 
			 Total 90,997.53 
		
	
	These figures were sourced through HM's Government Central Office of Information.

Departmental Overseas Offices

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which agencies of his Department maintain offices overseas, broken down by (a) country where each office is maintained, (b) number of staff, (c) agency and (d) cost of each office in 2004–05.

Alun Michael: None of the Department's executive agencies maintain offices overseas. Of the non-departmental bodies sponsored by the Department the only ones that maintain overseas offices are (a) the research councils, who collectively operate an office in Brussels which employs 10 staff costing £640,000 and (b) the regional development agencies for which the table gives details of the regional development agencies offices by country, the number of staff and the annual costs (where known).
	UK Trade and Investment is technically neither an agency nor a sponsored body of the DTI. It brings together the work of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department of Trade and Industry in supporting companies in the UK trading internationally, and overseas enterprises seeking to locate in the UK. Its overseas resources, including staff and the premises they occupy, are provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
	
		
			 Regional development agency Advantage West Midlands East of England East Midlands North West 
			 Country Staff £000 Staff £000 Staff £000 Staff £000 
		
		
			 Australia 2 (8)— — — 2 (8)— (9)2 50 
			 Belgium 1 170 — (10)12 — — — — 
			 China — — — — — — — — 
			 France 1 100 — — — — — — 
			 Germany 1 100 — — 0.5 70 — — 
			 India 0.5 (8)— — — 0.5 (8)— — — 
			 Japan 2 (8)— — — 2 (8)— (11)4 195 
			 Korea — — — — — — — — 
			 Norway — — — — — — — — 
			 Singapore 0.5 (8)— — — 0.5 (8)— — — 
			 Sweden 1 60 — — 0.5 60 — — 
			 Taiwan — — — — — — — — 
			 USA 7 (8)— — — 7 (8)— (9)12 405 
		
	
	
		
			 Regional development agency One North East South East England South West England Yorkshire Forward 
			 Country Staff £000 Staff £000 Staff £000 Staff £000 
		
		
			 Australia (9)2 50 0.5 50 1 (12)— (9)2 50 
			 Belgium — — 2 141 — — — — 
			 China 2 60 1 28 2 (12)— 2 180 
			 France — — — — — — — — 
			 Germany 0.5 35 — — — — — — 
			 India — — — — — — — — 
			 Japan 2 210 2 85 4 (12)— (11)4 195 
			 Korea 0.5 70 1 44 — — — — 
			 Norway 0.5 35 — — — — — — 
			 Singapore — — — — — — — — 
			 Sweden — — — — — — — — 
			 Taiwan 1.5 25 — — — — — — 
			 USA (9)12 405 7 570 2 265 (9)12 405 
		
	
	(8) Collaboration between Advantage West Midlands and East Midlands Development Agency—costs not known.
	(9) Collaboration between North West Development Agency, One North East and Yorkshire Forward.
	(10) Contribution to East of England European Partnership office in Brussels.
	(11) Collaboration between North West Development Agency and Yorkshire Forward.
	(12) Total costs of South West's representation in Australia, China and Japan is £520,000.
	Note:
	The London Development Agency does not have any offices outside the UK.

Flexitime Rules

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements are in place to monitor the (a) operation of and (b) compliance with flexitime rules for staff in his Department.

Alan Johnson: Individual directorates operate their own flexitime arrangements within a framework set out by the Department. Directorates are advised to ensure that local managers and supervisors are aware of their responsibilities for the operation and control of the scheme and make clear to staff and new recruits who join an office flexitime scheme that disciplinary action may be taken if the scheme is abused.

Flexitime Rules

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the terms are of the flexitime arrangements for staff in his Department.

Alan Johnson: Individual directorates within the Department operate their own flexitime arrangements. This enables staff to vary their times of arrival and departure from work, vary the length and timing of their lunch breaks and take time off if they work extra hours. Staff are required to record the hours that they work either manually or electronically. Flexible working hours (FWH) schemes usually have four week accounting periods and within limits staff can carry over from one accounting period to the next an excess or deficit in the hours they worked compared to their conditioned hours. Credits are given for authorised absences such as visits to the doctor and to allow for the effect of exceptional transport delays.

Learning and Skills Council

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what new companies have started up in the field of adult guidance provision since the Learning and Skills Council took over from the training and enterprise councils.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	Neither my Department nor the LSC record business start ups in adult guidance.

Management and Leadership Programme

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the progress of the Management and Leadership programme of the Small Business Service; and whether complete coverage across England is expected by the end of 2005.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	At 30 September 2005 over 21,000 employers were engaged with the Leadership and Management Development Programme for Managing Directors of SMEs. Over 10,000 have had their development needs assessed and started or completed their development programme. All English regions are covered by this programme.

Packaging

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received calling for a further regulatory impact assessment on the effects of REACH EU chemicals policy on downstream users, with particular reference to packaging manufacturing; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 15 November 2005
	The Government have received a number of representations from different parts of industry, including the packaging sector, as well as from many other stakeholders on all aspects of the proposed REACH Regulation (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals). These included responses to the UK's public consultation last year.
	Within the UK, REACH was subject to a regulatory impact assessment in 2004, and a further impact assessment was carried out this year, which examined the implications of the regulation for some downstream sectors, including can coatings, taking into account information supplied by metal packaging manufacturers.
	Across the EU, REACH has been subject to over 50 regulatory impact assessments. This includes the European Commission's extended impact assessment of October 2003, which estimated that changes made to its draft proposals could save up to €10.6 billion. The Commission also carried out a further impact assessment this year in partnership with industry, trade union, consumer and environmental organisations. That assessment considered the impact of REACH on certain downstream users of chemical substances, including flexible packaging manufacturers.
	The considerable amount of work carried out in assessing the impact of the REACH proposals has been invaluable in determining costs and benefits, and in informing the negotiations.

Palm Oil

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with (a) UK supermarkets, (b) ministerial colleagues and (c) others about the sourcing of palm oil imported into the UK, with particular reference to the habitat of the orang-utan;
	(2)  what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the relationship between increased imports of palm oil into the UK and the threat to the future of the orang-utan.

Gareth Thomas: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK Government support the conservation and sustainable management of rainforests, helping to protect forest habitats, including those of the orang-utan. The UK Government are in discussion with EU member states about the threats to these tropical rainforests caused by oil palm expansion. The UK Government are taking a number of steps to tackle these issues and these are outlined as follows.
	The former Advisory Committee on Consumer Products and the Environment (appointed in 1999 by the, Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR)) considered palm oil in the context of the scope for retailers and others to influence the supply chain. As part of its work, in 2001, the Committee brought together a number of UK players including several leading retailers, to discuss and identify the scope for practical action to tackle the environmental issues associated with this commodity.
	Building on that experience the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) commissioned, on the Committee's behalf, a feasibility study to assess how a broader sustainable commodities initiative might work as a tool to reduce the negative impact of commodity crops. The study concluded that there was no single best way forward for an initiative to suit all commodities or supply chain actors. Instead an initiative should consist of a coherent set of different activities. The study is available on line at—http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/consumerprod/accpe/research/index.htm.
	Based on the study, the advisory committee made a number of recommendations in its third report, From Principles to Action", around the need for a policy framework, information, best practice guidance and sharing of experience. These recommendations are being fed into the development of the Government's Food Industry Sustainability Strategy.
	Defra is commissioning some further research work into the impacts of commodities on the biodiversity in international communities. The outcomes of this work will identify the range of commodities and inform future policy development. palm oil will be one of the commodities studied in this project.
	A Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil has been established, which is running a pilot programme in sustainable palm oil production in Malaysia. This is a two year scheme running from November 2005 which is subject to review at the end of this period. The programme is monitoring whether palm oil can be grown in both a legal and sustainable manner.

Post Offices

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in securing approval from the European Commission for the proposed subsidy for the two years to March 2008 to support the rural post office network; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: Formal notification was presented to the European Commission on 18 March 2005. Discussions at official level are ongoing.

Post Offices

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Government plan to provide on-going subsidies to support the rural post office network beyond March 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: Government has made it clear that it will make informed decisions about the longer-term future of the rural post office network in light of the Post Office Limited report into their trials of new and innovative means of delivering postal services to rural communities. The report is due to be delivered to Government by the end of this year. This will be considered alongside analysis of the network currently being conducted.

Post Offices

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment his Department has made of the long-term viability of the Post Office rural network in the event that on-going subsidies are not available; what estimate he has made of the number of post offices which would be at risk of closure; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: No decision will be taken on the longer-term future of the rural post office network until Government has considered the findings of the Post Office Limited report of their pilot programme, trialling new and innovative ways of delivering postal services to rural communities. The report is due to be presented to Government at the end of the year. This will be considered alongside analysis of the network currently being conducted.
	The Government's annual support of £150 million helps Post Office Limited to maintain non-commercial post offices in rural locations.

Royal Mail

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the total amount of unfunded pension liabilities from Royal Mail Group plc.

Barry Gardiner: As set out in Royal Mail's 2004–05 accounts, the deficit in the pension scheme was £3,906 million.

UK Competitiveness

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what initiatives his Department has in place to ensure that there will be progress by 2006 towards his Department's targets (a) to improve UK competitiveness and (b) narrow the productivity gap with the United States; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The Government's approach to raising UK competitiveness and closing the productivity gap with our main competitors, such as the USA, is based on maintaining macroeconomic stability to allow firms and individuals to invest for the future, and implementing microeconomic reforms to remove the barriers which prevent markets from functioning efficiently.
	The Government has identified five drivers of productivity: investment, innovation, skills, enterprise and competition. A programme of reforms has been initiated to boost productivity through each of these drivers, along with cross-cutting policies. The DTI is pursuing these through its Five-Year Plan and PSA 1 target.
	Examples of DTI policies to boost productivity include:
	reforming the competition framework in the UK. The Enterprise Act 2002 has made the UK competition authorities (Competition Commission and OFT) independent, and has given the OFT a more proactive role in investigating markets that may not be working well for consumers;
	the Technology Strategy, which supports collaborative R and D and knowledge transfer networks through strong business input. £320 million of funding is available over the period 2005 to 2008; and
	the Science Budget; the 2004 Spending Review announced additional funding for the UK's successful science base—an additional £1 billion for over the spending review period, equivalent to annual growth in funding of 5.8 per cent. in real terms.
	The DTI also actively works with other Government Departments in the development of their policies which can impact on productivity—for example with DfES on Education and Skills policy.

Unum Provident

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department has entered a contract with Unum Provident.

Alan Johnson: According to centrally held records, my Department has not entered into any contract with Unum Provident.

DEFENCE

A400M

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the major UK suppliers to the A400M programme.

Adam Ingram: The major UK suppliers to the A400M programme are: Airbus UK, Rolls Royce, Messier Dowty, Goodrich Aerospace UK and Marshall Aerospace.

Afghanistan

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his assessment is of the current level of insurgency attacks in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The security situation in Afghanistan is broadly stable, if sometimes fragile, with levels of insurgent attacks driven largely by seasonal factors, particularly the weather. There was an upsurge in violence around the 18 September National Assembly election, as widely anticipated, though polling day itself was not significantly disrupted. Neither the Taliban nor other insurgent groups currently pose a credible strategic threat to the stability of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what progress has been made in training the Afghan National Army; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the target strength is for the Afghan National Army; and when it is expected to be achieved;
	(3)  if he will make a statement on progress made in (a) the training and fielding of Afghan combat troops, (b) the equipping of Afghan combat troops and (c) establishing the institutions the Afghan army needs to sustain itself.

Adam Ingram: The training, equipping and development of sustaining institutions for the Afghan National Army (ANA) is led by the US. Other countries, including the UK, provide assistance (for example, the UK trains non-commissioned officers). The current target strength for the ANA is 70,000 by the end of 2009. Good progress towards this target is being made, with many ANA units now capable of conducting combat operations, albeit with support from international forces, in terms of both equipment and logistics. The ANA is now also well established in the regions.
	The Afghan Ministry of Defence, as the key institution leading the development of the ANA, has made good progress under the leadership of Defence Minister Wardak and with the help of international partners. The UK is currently engaged in a project to build civil service capacity within the Afghan MOD, with the aim of creating a self-sustaining department.

Afghanistan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to increase recruitment and retention of the Afghan National Police (a) unilaterally and (b) multilaterally.

Adam Ingram: Plans for the recruitment and retention of the Afghan National Police are a matter for the Government of Afghanistan in consultation with Germany, who lead in this area, and the United States, who are providing resources in support of police reform.

Aircraft Crashes

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2005, Official Report, column 374W, on aircraft crashes, what function (a) the radar altitude hold on the Chinook HC1 and (b) the radar altimeter hold on the Chinook HC2 performed; and if he will make a statement.

Don Touhig: The function of the radar altimeter hold on the Chinook HC Mk 1 and the Chinook HC Mk 2 is identical. It provides a means by which the aircraft can maintain a constant height above the surface in the hover or at low speeds.

Aircraft Crashes

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2005, Official Report, column 344W, on aircraft crashes, why the radar altimeter hold cleared for use on the Chinook HC2 was subject to restrictions; and if he will make a statement.

Don Touhig: The radar altimeter hold on the Chinook HC2 was cleared for use subject to restrictions put in place to ensure that the aircraft was operated safely.

Aldermaston Weapons Establishment

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of the personnel at the Aldermaston Weapons Establishment are (a) US citizens, (b) employed by US corporations and (c) employed by the US Government, broken down by grade.

John Reid: The Atomic Weapons Establishment is managed under Government owned contractor operated ('GOCO') arrangements. The management and operation company, AWE plc, has the following personnel working at AWE sites:
	Five US citizens. This is less than 0.1 per cent. of the total number of personnel. Broken down by grade these are a managing director and four senior managers.
	87 subcontractors from US corporations. This equates to approximately 1.6 per cent. of the total number of personnel.
	No US Government employees.
	The breakdown by grade for personnel employed by US corporations could be provided only at disproportionate cost because AWE plc does not hold the information.

Anthrax

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the (a) types and (b) amounts of anthrax which have been supplied to Iraq by the USA since 1980; and if he will make a statement.

John Reid: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Dr. Howells) gave on 14 October 2005, Official Report, column 643W.

Armed Forces

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are in place to provide entertainment to service personnel in (a) Iraq, (b) Afghanistan and (c) other countries where the military serve.

Don Touhig: Entertainment for service personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan and in other countries is primarily delivered by the operational welfare package (OWP). The OWP provides a leisure and relaxation element that includes: British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) multi-television and radio; televisions, videocassette recorders, DVD players and radios; videocassettes or DVDs; live combined services' entertainment shows; newspapers, magazines, books and board games.
	Eligibility for the OWP is based on the length of time overseas and by personnel numbers. Operations, exercises and deployments require an expected duration of two months or more to be eligible and containing more than 20 personnel, below which it is not cost-effective to provide OWP. In addition, OWP is not provided for locations that have a developed infrastructure, where most elements are available already, or for personnel in receipt of local overseas allowance.
	BFBS also provides television and radio services to other countries where service personnel are stationed. These include north west Europe, Ascension, Belize, Brunei (radio only), Canada, Cyprus, and the Falkland Islands, together with Her Majesty's ships.

Armed Forces

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving (a) regular, (b) territorial and (c) reserve armed forces personnel were recorded as living in Kettering constituency in each year since 1997.

Don Touhig: Historically statistics at parliamentary constituency level have not been produced.
	Posted location data by local authority, for regular personnel are published in TSP 10, UK Regular Forces Distribution Across UK", quarterly from 1 July 2004 to 1 July 2005. Copies are available in the Library of the House. There were no regular personnel posted to the borough of Kettering during this time and records show that no regular personnel have been posted to Kettering between 1997 and 2004.
	Data on the residential location of armed forces personnel are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Army Tanks

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many tanks have been sold by the Government in the last five years; and to which countries.

Adam Ingram: One surplus demilitarised Chieftain MK5/3 Main Battle Tank (MET) was sold commercially in 2004 and nine surplus Challenger 1 MET hulks were disposed of by scrap metal recovery. No surplus MBTs have been sold on a Government-to-Government basis in the last five years. However, 399 Challenger 1 MBTs have been gifted to the Jordanian armed forces under the Al Hussein Project.

British Army Training (Kenya)

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether agreement has been reached with the Kenyan Government on the resumption of British Army training in Kenya.

Adam Ingram: The British Army continues to conduct training in Kenya. However, some exercises have been constrained by a Kenyan Government decision to limit the areas where troops can train. Detailed negotiations between the Governments of Kenya and the United Kingdom about adjusting these restrictions are proceeding. In the meantime, the Memorandum of Understanding between the two Governments which expired in December 2004 has been extended.

Carrier Programme

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the status is of the process he described in Washington DC as a final perusal of UK plans to build two large aircraft carriers; what aspects of the carrier programme are being perused; and whether this constitutes a lessening of the Government's commitment to build the carriers.

John Reid: holding answer 14 November 2005
	The future aircraft carrier (CVF) project is in its assessment phase, the aim of which is to balance the key parameters of performance, cost and time. The main investment decision will be taken when we know with confidence the risks involved in building the carriers, when we have a proper understanding of the costs involved and the implications in terms of the wider interface with other projects.
	The Government remains fully committed to the future carrier programme which represents a quantum step up in military capability for the UK's armed forces.

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps the Department takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses while working for his Department and its agencies.

Don Touhig: All the Ministry of Defence contracts are placed on the basis of providing best value for money. In many cases consultancy contracts are awarded through framework arrangements which have been agreed with consultancy suppliers. To get themselves onto the framework agreements the consultants will have taken part in a competitive tender and the agreed charging rates and expenses will accordingly have been subject to competitive pressure. Where MOD teams place contracts outside of the framework agreements they must be able to demonstrate value for money and that prices, including arrangements for payment of expenses, are fair and reasonable.
	The MOD is actively considering, along with other parts of central government, how best to maximise public sector buying power in this market. One likely outcome of this work is a much greater use of centralised framework agreements by the MOD and across government.

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list departmental projects conducted by consultants in each year since 2000; what the cost was in each case; and what the total cost of employing consultants was in each year.

Don Touhig: A list of projects conducted by consultants is not held centrally by the Ministry of Defence and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, summaries of MOD expenditure on external assistance, of which consultancy is a part, are available in the Library of the House for the years 1995–96 to 2005–06.

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what mechanisms are in place to assess the effectiveness of consultant-led projects in his Department; what sanctions are available to penalise consultants who run unsuccessful projects; how many projects conducted by consultants were assessed as unsuccessful in each year since 2000; and what sanctions were imposed in each case.

Don Touhig: Most consultants used by the Ministry of Defence are engaged to support projects, not to lead them. That said, the mechanisms to assess a consultant's performance will be similar whether the consultancy is acting in a lead or support role. Primarily this will focus on an assessment by the MOD project team of the consultant's performance in relation to the contracted statement of requirements, including any deliverables. In the short term we would expect any shortfalls in the performance of a consultant to be addressed through discussion with the MOD project manager. In the longer term MOD has a contractual remedy for poor performance in DEFCON 92 'Failure of Performance'.
	Information on the number of projects by consultants that were assessed as unsuccessful is not held in the format requested and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Court Cases

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost to date has been of court cases involving military personnel in Iraq; and if he will list the amounts awarded to date to lawyers acting for Iraqis, broken down by firm.

Adam Ingram: The total cost of court cases involving military personnel in Iraq is not held centrally. The Military Court Service does not hold such information by location.
	The Ministry of Defence has not reimbursed any costs for lawyers acting on behalf of Iraqis.

Court Cases

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many criminal cases in which all proceedings are complete involving military personnel on active service have been transferred from military to civil jurisdiction for trial in each of the last five years; and what the reason was in each case.

Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply 
	as the responsible Minister for supervising both the Service Prosecuting Authorities and the Crown Prosecution Service.
	Where an offence alleged to have been committed by servicemen is triable in England and Wales in either the court martial or the civilian courts, it is ultimately the Attorney General's decision which prosecutor will consider the allegation. The Service Prosecuting Authorities will deal with the vast majority of cases concerning servicemen. However, in exceptional cases the CPS may deal with the allegation.
	Trooper Williams is the only case in the last five years when a criminal case involving military personnel on active service have been transferred from military in which all proceedings are complete to civil jurisdiction for trial.
	The charge against Trooper Williams was murder. He had been charged and had the charge dismissed by his commanding officer without the independent prosecutor, the Army Prosecuting Authority considering the allegation. As a result of the charge being dismissed the provisions of the Army Act 1955 Section 134 (1) precluded him being tried by a court martial for either murder or manslaughter. As a result the Army Prosecuting Authority could not consider the allegation.
	However in accordance with the Army Act 1955 Section 33(1) as Trooper Williams had not been tried for an offence by a court martial, not had an offence committed by him taken into consideration by a court martial in sentencing him nor had the charge dealt with summarily by his commanding officer, a civil court could try him. The case was therefore transferred to the civilian jurisdiction so that the Crown Prosecution Service as an independent prosecutor could consider the allegation.

Defence Logistics Savings

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will break down the £2.8 billion of savings in defence logistics by area where savings will be made; and where the savings will be reinvested.

Adam Ingram: The £2.8 billion refers to savings from all the programmes contributing towards the Department's Spending Review 2004 efficiency target, not just to savings in the logistics function. A breakdown of how the Department intends to achieve this target can be found in the MOD Efficiency Technical Note www.mod.uk/issues/finance/efficiency.htm, which was published on the Department's website last October. These figures have subsequently been refined and an updated version of the Note will be published at the end of this month.
	All savings will be re-invested in the Defence budget and will help fund the improvements in military capability set out in last year's White Paper on Future Capabilities.

Distinguished Service Order

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers awarded the Distinguished Service Order since 1980 have had it withdrawn subsequently following a court martial or conviction in a civilian court.

Don Touhig: Of the 37 DSOs awarded since 1980 none have been withdrawn.

Freedom of Information

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many requests he has received to disclose information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and what the average time taken to make a decision on the disclosures has been.

Don Touhig: The Ministry of Defence had received a total of 2,882 requests to disclose information under the Freedom of Information Act up to 30 June, the second quarter of 2005. We do not collect data on the average time taken to make a decision on disclosure and could provide this information only at disproportionate cost. However, during the second quarter, 80 per cent. of requests for information were answered within the 20-day deadline and 83 per cent. within the 20-day deadline or with a permitted extension. The Department for Constitutional Affairs publish these statistics on their website and will publish information for the third quarter in mid-December.

Departmental Salaries

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the 10 highest paid employees in his Department, broken down by (a) job title and (b) salary including bonuses; and whether the individual concerned is (i) a civil servant and (ii) a contractor in each case.

Don Touhig: Details of the 10 highest paid civilian employees within the Ministry of Defence are as follows:
	
		
			 Position Pay band Bonus 
		
		
			 Permanent Secretary 2nd PUS Chief Defence Procurement Chief Scientific Adviser  Within the Permanent Secretaries' pay range of £130,350 to £264,250  Potential to earn up to 15 per cent. of salary dependent on performance 
			   
			 Head Defence Export Services(13) Personnel Director1/2 Deputy Chief Executive of the Defence  Procurement Agency Deputy Chief of Defence Logistics  Within SCS Pay Band 3 range of £93,139 to £198,197  Potential to earn bonuses up to £12,500 in 2005 pay round, subject to relative assessment and quota 
			
			 Chief Executive Army Base Repair  Organisation Chief Executive Defence Aviation  Repair Agency Both fixed term appointments—salaries are within Pay Band 2 range of £75,606 to £159,659  Potential to earn up to 10 per cent. of salary depending on performance 
		
	
	(13) Additional funding provided by defence industry to make salary commensurate with equivalent level post in the private sector. Has potential to earn up to 10 per cent. of salary depending on performance.
	Information on the salaries and other benefits of the Defence Management Board, which includes senior military appointments, is contained in the Ministry of Defence's Annual Report and Accounts 2004–05 (HC 464).

HMS Sheffield

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will publish the contents of the typed manuscripts of evidence produced by the Board of Inquiry into the sinking of HMS Sheffield;
	(2)  which individuals were called to give evidence to the Board of Inquiry into the sinking of HMS Sheffield;
	(3)  who were the (a) members and (b) stenographer of the Board of Inquiry into the sinking of HMS Sheffield;
	(4)  what instructions were given to the former Commander-in-Chief, Lord Fieldhouse of Gosport, by (a) the First Sea Lord, (b) the Admiralty Board and (c) the Cabinet Office with regard to convening court martial proceedings relating to the loss of HMS Sheffield.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to my letter to him reference D/MSU/2/5/1 dated 7 April 2005, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. I will write to the hon. Member shortly with a progress report on the departmental review that I commissioned to consider what information can be made publicly available concerning the investigation into the loss of HMS Sheffield during the Falklands conflict.

Iraq

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress made in training and equipping units and individuals of the Iraqi Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of the Interior in Multinational Division South East Iraq.

John Reid: The coalition-wide effort to train and equip the Iraqi security forces (ISF) to conduct self-sufficient security operations, border enforcement, and law and order, has, to date, trained more than 206,000 Iraqis nationally, including almost all the Iraqi Army based in MND(SE), and 62 per cent. of the Iraqi Police Service in the United Kingdom area of operations. Coalition funds have procured various vehicles, weapons, airport x-ray machines, communications equipment and infrastructure improvements. The most recent part of a continuing UK programme of assistance to the ISF will see a further £15.5 million of vehicles, communications equipment and infrastructure improvements provided to enhance this capability in MND(SE).

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what reports he has received of Mujahideen-e-Khalq offices or safe-houses being operated in Basra;
	(2)  what reports he has received of the continued presence of members or former members of the Mujahideen-e-Khalq at (a) Camp Habib near Basra and (b) (i) Camp Homayun and (ii) Camp Mujarmi near Amarah in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 17 November 2005
	There is some reporting, but no evidence, of active Mujaheddin-e-Khalq in Basrah. We have received no reports of the continued presence of former Mujaheddin-e-Khalq members in these or any other Iraqi camps.

Kandahar Airport

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what improvements are being made to Kandahar airport; and what additional air capability this will enable.

Adam Ingram: The runways, taxiways and aircraft parking areas at Kandahar airfield are currently in a poor state of repair and are thus being renovated. On completion, more aircraft types will be able to operate from the airfield than is now the case.

Media Relations

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on external media relations in each year since 2001.

Don Touhig: The Ministry of Defence does not record expenditure on external media relations in the form requested, and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability Project

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a commitment has been made that all Royal Navy ships under the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability project will be built in the UK.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 November 2005, Official Report, column 551W, to the right hon. and learned Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram).

Military Police

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what independent (a) inspection and (b) supervision is undertaken of investigations by military police; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The service police have an internal supervision and inspection regime. All serious inquiries are supervised by trained crime managers and, in appropriate cases, a Home Office-trained senior investigating officer. The progress of such cases is also monitored by respective Provost Marshal staff and, in the case of the Royal Military Police, the Office of Standards Casework (Army).
	An internal inspection system also exists which includes peer review and formal bi-annual technical inspections. In addition, the civilian police have carried out 'cold case' reviews and peer reviews on individual cases. The service police are also inspected annually by the Office of Surveillance Commissioners and the Information Services Commissioner.
	We are also currently discussing with HM Inspectorate of Constabulary the possibility of some form of independent inspection of the service police, akin to that currently undertaken on the Ministry of Defence police and Home Office police forces,

Northern Ireland (Past Operations Review)

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the plans for reviewing past operations carried out by HM Armed Forces in Northern Ireland; whether the Police Service of Northern Ireland will be involved in the review; whether the Royal Military Police will play a role in the review; and what rights will be afforded to (a) serving and (b) former members of the armed forces who are subject to the review.

Adam Ingram: The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is reviewing more than 2,000 unresolved deaths from the troubles. More than 300 of those deaths have been attributed to the security forces by the PSNI.
	The Royal Military Police (RMP) is providing information to the PSNI to support the review. The Ministry of Defence will provide whatever assistance is appropriate for serving and former members of the armed forces who are required to assist the PSNI.

Nuclear Decommissioning

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the Government's projected liabilities for nuclear decommissioning are classified as off balance sheet.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) assumed responsibility for the decommissioning and clean up of the UK's civil nuclear legacy on 1 April 2005. The NDA's draft strategy estimates the civil nuclear liability at about £56 billion. This is based on each of the NDA's sites' Life Cycle Baselines for 2004—these set out the scope, schedule, and cost of work over their lifetime. The NDA have examined the liabilities and have concluded that none are classed as 'off balance sheet'. The NDA's accounts for 2005–06 will ensure transparency in respect of all their activities.

Nuclear Deterrent

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what indications he has received from the United States Department of Defense of the time scale in which Trident missiles will continue to be manufactured.

John Reid: holding answer 9 November 2005
	It is not Ministry of Defence policy to release details about the manufacture of Trident missiles, including discussions with other Governments, as this could prejudice national security and international relations.

Radar Altimeter Hold

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the documentation covering the clearance of the Radar altimeter hold, together with any documented restrictions, for use on the HC1 and HC2 Chinook helicopters.

Don Touhig: I will place a copy of the trials report on the modified Chinook HC1 radar altimeter hold produced by the MOD(PE) Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (now QinetiQ) in December 1985 in the Library of the House. The radar altimeter on the Chinook HC2 is identical to that of the modified Chinook HC1 and therefore the results of trials on the HC1 were read across to the HC2.

RAF Facilities (Scotland)

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the economic impact of (a) proposed closures and (b) reductions in provision at RAF facilities in Scotland, broken down by each RAF station affected.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is funded by the tax payer to meet Defence needs.
	We are always willing to work with the Scottish Executive and relevant local authorities to consider any measures within the Defence remit that might assist the local community where decisions have local impact.

RAF Projects

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress on the (a) F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, (b) Hawk 128, (c) Airbus A330 and (d) Typhoon Project; and what the estimated costs were (i) at the beginning of the project and (ii) at the most recent available date.

Adam Ingram: We are negotiating the Joint Strike Fighter memorandum of understanding for the co-operative production, support and follow on development phase and expect to conclude these negotiations next year.
	The Hawk 128 design and development contract was placed in December 2004. Negotiations with BAE Systems regarding a production contract are ongoing.
	Final negotiations on the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) project are ongoing with AirTanker Ltd. on a 27-year contract for a public finance initiative service based upon Airbus A330 aircraft.
	19 Typhoon production aircraft have been delivered to the RAF and over 1,900 in-service sorties have been flown. The aircraft are now engaged in pilot training and operational evaluation to enable operational deployment during the second half of this decade.
	The estimated costs for these projects at (i) the beginning of the project and (ii) the most recent available data (MPR04):
	
		£ million
		
			  (i) Beginning of project (ii) Most recent available data 
		
		
			 Joint Strike Fighter  (demonstration phase only) 2,236 2,573 
			 Hawk 128 Up to 722 Up to 722 
			 FSTA Up to 13,900 Up to 13,100 
			 Typhoon 16,671 19,014

Royal Marine Patrol Boats

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Royal Marine patrol boats held by Iran.

Adam Ingram: Through diplomatic channels we have raised the return of the boats with the Iranian authorities on numerous occasions, at both ministerial and senior official level, in Tehran and London. We continue to press for their return.

Royal Ordnance Factory (Chorley)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many meetings the Minister of State has had with (a) Royal Ordnance and (b) the Transport and General Workers Union to discuss the proposed closure of the Royal Ordnance factory at Chorley.

Adam Ingram: None. Closure of BAEs Chorley is a matter forBAEs.

St. Helena

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the potential military use of an airport on St. Helena by (a) the UK and (b) the US; what representations he has received on this matter from the US authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: There has been no assessment made of the potential military use of an airport on St. Helena by the UK or the US. No representations have been received by the UK Government from the US authorities on this matter.

Staff Discipline

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many employees have been dismissed by his Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Don Touhig: The following table gives details of the number of Ministry of Defence civilian employees dismissed in each of the financial years 2000–01 to 2004–05.
	
		Civilian employee dismissals between 2000–01 and 2004–05
		
			 Financial year Headcount 
		
		
			 2000–01 160 
			 2001–02 160 
			 2002–03 150 
			 2003–04 150 
			 2004–05 190 
		
	
	Note:
	This table uses the revised definition of civilian personnel (www.dasa.mod.uk). But auxiliary and locally engaged civilian staff for whom no information on civilian dismissals is available.

Temporary Fire-fighting Duties

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost has been of using British troops for temporary fire-fighting duties in each of the last 10 years.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has provided military assistance in the form of temporary fire-fighting duties on 16 occasions during the last 10 years. In certain cases no strikes took place and MOD incurred costs for contingency planning and preparation only; these are marked with an asterisk. Additional costs are normally recovered from the requesting Department.
	
		£
		
			   Fire authority   Dates Approximate costs including VAT invoiced centrally by MOD 
		
		
			 Merseyside 1995–96 1,200,000 
			 Essex 1996 *12,000 
			 Derbyshire 1996 145,000 
			 Essex 1997 65,000 
			 Greater Manchester 1997 *3,000 
			 London 1998 *10,000 
			 Surrey 1998 *1,000 
			 Essex 1998 1,772,000 
			 West Yorkshire and  Greater Manchester 1999 *175 
			 Northern Ireland 2000 *100 
			 Merseyside 2001 660,000 
			 Cleveland 2002 *5,000 
			 National 2002–03 88,000,000 
			 National 2004 *707,000 
			 Suffolk 2005 (14)— 
			 West Midlands 2005 (14)— 
		
	
	(14) Costs not yet available.

Territorial Army

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the review of the Territorial Army to report.

Don Touhig: I expect to receive a report on the review of the Territorial Army before the end of the year.

Trident

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the process will be leading to a decision on the replacement of Trident; and in what ways he expects Parliament to be involved.

John Reid: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave on 14 October 2005, Official Report, column 619W, to the Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Mr. Moore).

Warrior Armoured Vehicle

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the UK's Warrior armoured vehicle fleet are unavailable for active service.

Adam Ingram: There are currently 794 Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicles in the Departmental fleet. As at 16 November 2005 164 of these are classed as not immediately available. However, 115 of these vehicles are undergoing only minor repair and they would be made available should the operational situation require it. The remaining 49 vehicles are those programmed for routine maintenance or requiring in depth repair and in this respect are classed as not being available for active service.

Warships

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2005, Official Report, column 1264W, on warships, what services are being provided by Swan Hunter to BAE Systems for £62 million in support of the two Landing Ships Dock (Auxiliary) vessels being built; and if he will list the major items of lead yard equipment and services.

Adam Ingram: Swan Hunter, as the Lead Yard Supplier of services and equipment provide BAE Systems with information for: Pricing and Planning; Design and Build; Trials, Test and Setting to work; Jigs and Tools; Acceptance and Approvals; Support Documentation. The company also provides Design, Technical and Management Services, and Material Ordering and Supply. The greater part of the cost is for many items of equipment.

Warships

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2005, Official Report, column 1264W, on warships, how much of the £11 million for initial spares provisioning for the four Landing Ships Dock (Auxiliary) vessels is to be paid to Swan Hunter; and what the schedule for such payments is.

Adam Ingram: Swan Hunter is contractually responsible for the provision of all initial spares for the four Landing Ships Dock (Auxiliary) vessels. Consequently all payments are made to the company upon delivery of each batch received, for which the aggregated contract value is £11 million. The majority of which have now been paid.

Warships

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2005, Official Report, column 1264W, on warships, when he expects discussions with Swan Hunter and BAE Systems over further cost increases to the Landing Ships Dock (Auxiliary) contract to be completed; and when he expects to be able to publish details of those further cost increases.

Adam Ingram: Discussions with both companies are continuing with an aim of concluding them as soon as possible. I will be in a position to make a statement when they are completed.

Warships

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2005, Official Report, column 1264W, on warships, when the decision was taken to make payments to Swan Hunter of £62 million in relation to BAE Systems' ships; and when these payments were made.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence agreed contract amendments with Swan Hunter in May 2001 and June 2001, for the provision of Lead Yard Services to support the build of a further two Landing Ships Dock (Auxiliary) vessels. A further contract amendment was agreed with the company in March 2002, for the provision of Lead Yard Equipment. Payments have been made on a regular basis using the milestone payment scheme.

Widescreen Televisions

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many widescreen televisions have been purchased by his Department for use in Whitehall Headquarters in each of the last five years; and at what cost in each year.

Adam Ingram: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, as part of the Ministry of Defence Head Office building refurbishment, five widescreen televisions were purchased in financial year 2001–02 at a total cost of £12,500, and 134 at a total cost of £348,000 in financial year 2003–04.

TREASURY

Capital Gains Tax Relief (Retired Tenants)

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent consideration has been given to proposals to use capital gains tax relief to encourage landlords to offer alternative accommodation to their retiring farm tenants.

Dawn Primarolo: The whole tax system, including CGT, is kept under review by the Government.

Consultants/Special Advisers

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) consultants and (b) special advisers were employed by his Department in each year since 1997; what the cost of each was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Martin Horwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list departmental projects conducted by consultants in each year since 2000; what the cost was in each case; and what the total cost of employing consultants was in each year.

John Healey: The Treasury does not record centrally numbers of consultants. For the cost of consultants, I refer to the answers given to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 281W, and to the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) on 25 March 2002, Official Report, column 733W. Details of the individual projects conducted are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The number and cost of special advisers employed by the Government is reported annually by the Prime Minister, most recently on 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 160WS.

Departmental Assets

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the 10 most valuable (a) movable and (b) immovable assets owned by his Department.

John Healey: HM Treasury's only immovable assets are:
	1. the land and building at 1 Horse Guards Road
	2. surplus freehold property at Honeypot Lane, Stanmore (OGC)
	3. freehold premises at Thistle Street, Edinburgh (OGC)
	4. leasehold improvements to premises at Philpot Lane (DMO)
	The 10 most valuable movable assets are:
	1. Records Management system (Jigsaw)
	2. Government Financial Management system (Coins)
	3. HM Treasury internal accounts production system (Abacus)
	4. Market risk system (DMO)
	5. Exchequer Funds and Accounts treasury accounting system (Tripp)
	6. Silver ink stand (1 of set of 3)
	7. Silver ink stand (1 of set of 3)
	8. Silver ink stand (1 of set of 3)
	9. E-learning database
	10. Cashflow forecasting software (DMO)
	The Treasury's silver is either on display at 10 Downing street, the Cabinet Office, or stored for safekeeping at the Bank of England.

Departmental Salaries

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the 10 highest paid employees in his Department, broken down by (a) job title and (b) salary including bonuses; and whether the individual concerned is (i) a civil servant and (ii) a contractor in each case.

John Healey: Details on salaries for Treasury employees are set out in the Treasury's Resource Accounts 2004–05, copies of which are available in the Library or accessible via the Treasury's public website: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk./media/3A6/1E/resource_accounts_2004–5.pdf
	The Treasury uses contractors from time to time but they are not members of the staff of the Department.

Departmental Underspending

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total value was of public underspending by each Government Department in financial year (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05.

Des Browne: Provisional outturn against departmental expenditure limits in 2003–04 and 2004–05 is published in the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper (PEOWP) for the relevant years (Cm. 6293 and Cm. 6639 respectively), copies of which have been laid before the House and placed in the Library. Changes between provisional and final outturn in 2003–04 have been reflected in the end year flexibility amounts presented in PEOWP 2004–05.

Direct Mail Contracts

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many contracts for direct mail were signed by his Department in (a) 2005–06 to date and (b) 2004–05 and what the value was in each case.

John Healey: None.

ECOFIN Meeting

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what main agenda items are to be discussed at the ECOFIN meeting on 24 November; and whether they will include the United Kingdom's EU budget rebate.

John Healey: There are three main agenda items for ECOFIN on 24 November. First, the Court of Auditors will present the Annual Report for 2004; second the council will consider Preliminary Draft Amending Budget No. 8 for 2005; and third the council will conclude its second reading of the Draft Budget for 2006. The UK abatement is not on the agenda.

EU Budget

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Government's key objectives are in the negotiations regarding the UK rebate from the EU budget; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 20 June 2005.

EU Budget

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the UK's VAT contribution to the EU Budget was in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005; and what he expects it to be in 2006.

John Healey: The UK's VAT-based contributions to the EC Budget in the years 2003–04 and 2004–05, and the latest estimates of these for 2005–06 and 2006–07, are as follows:
	
		
			  £ billion 
		
		
			 2003–04 2.6 
			 2004–05 1.9 
			 2005–06 1.9 
			 2006–07 2.0

EU Budget

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money has been saved to UK public funds as a result of the UK rebate from the EU budget since 1984.

John Healey: From 1985–86, when the UK abatement came into effect, to the end of 2004–05, the value totalled £44.2 billion.

Excess Winter Deaths

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many excess winter deaths there were in London, broken down by each London borough, in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Paul Burstow, dated 21 November 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many excess winter deaths there were in London, broken down by each London Borough, in each of the last five years. (29555)
	The latest available figures on excess winter deaths (the excess number of deaths each winter compared to the average during other months of the year) for local authorities are for 2003/4. Figures for London and its constituent boroughs are given in the attached table.
	
		Excess winter deaths(15) for London and London boroughs(16), 1999–2000 to 2003–04
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
			  EWD EWD Index(17) EWD EWD Index(17) EWD EWD Index(17) EWD EWD Index(17) EWD EWD Index(17) 
		
		
			 London 5,880 31.4 2,780 15.0 2,750 15.1 2,810 15.5 2,030 11.3 
			
			 City of London 10 93.1 10 52.4 0 15.4 0 -5.9 -10 -27.8 
			 Barking and Dagenham 200 38.3 120 22.4 90 17.1 100 18.1 90 17.0 
			 Barnet 290 30.8 60 6.0 240 29.1 130 15.6 110 13.1 
			 Bexley 190 29.3 140 21.3 10 0.9 150 22.8 70 10.8 
			 Brent 180 33.1 70 11.8 70 13.2 70 11.4 100 19.9 
			 Bromley 260 28.3 190 21.5 50 5.2 150 16.8 120 13.2 
			 Camden 120 23.4 70 15.2 50 9.6 60 14.1 70 15.0 
			 Croydon 320 37.4 160 19.5 190 22.5 100 11.7 100 11.3 
			 Ealing 210 27.9 50 6.5 120 17.6 120 17.3 70 10.5 
			 Enfield 260 33.9 40 4.7 120 16.2 180 24.0 70 9.0 
			 Greenwich 190 30.3 110 16.8 60 9.7 70 11.7 70 11.6 
			 Hackney 120 26.3 60 15.2 40 10.6 90 21.7 0 0.2 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 120 33.0 80 24.0 60 18.6 100 29.4 0 0.9 
			 Haringey 100 21.1 50 9.8 70 15.6 110 23.5 60 12.6 
			 Harrow 150 27.5 100 20.1 80 16.0 60 10.8 80 14.7 
			 Havering 290 39.4 50 7.1 150 19.9 180 22.8 170 23.2 
			 Hillingdon 240 36.9 110 16.9 120 18.9 100 14.8 70 10.7 
			 Hounslow 180 33.4 100 19.5 110 19.8 80 14.8 60 11.5 
			 Islington 80 17.4 20 5.1 70 17.4 40 9.4 40 10.2 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 80 22.5 30 10.2 40 11.3 40 14.5 50 16.8 
			 Kingston upon Thames 150 37.8 70 15.0 110 27.8 40 10.0 40 8.8 
			 Lambeth 180 29.9 80 12.6 30 4.4 90 16.8 70 12.7 
			 Lewisham 210 29.7 120 18.5 110 17.8 140 22.6 40 6.2 
			 Merton 140 29.7 90 18.7 20 4.8 60 14.3 40 8.1 
			 Newham 280 53.6 110 21.4 100 18.9 100 20.1 40 8.5 
			 Redbridge 220 35.3 80 11.4 140 21.4 60 8.9 80 11.6 
			 Richmond upon Thames 160 32.2 20 4.9 60 14.0 100 22.5 70 15.6 
			 Southwark 210 36.7 110 18.1 60 11.1 40 7.7 50 8.0 
			 Sutton 150 27.0 110 20.3 80 15.5 10 2.2 50 10.1 
			 Tower Hamlets 110 25.0 80 19.8 50 10.4 30 6.1 10 2.8 
			 Waltham Forest 190 31.1 120 19.2 60 10.1 100 15.9 30 6.0 
			 Wandsworth 180 27.6 90 13.9 110 17.3 80 12.9 60 10.4 
			 Westminster 130 29.3 100 22.8 70 16.5 40 10.4 60 13.3 
		
	
	(15) Excess winter deaths (EWD) are defined by the Office for National Statistics as the difference between the number of deaths during the four winter months (December to March) and the average number of deaths during the preceding four months (August to November) and the following four months (April to July). Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	(16) The figures provided relate to residents of these areas.
	(17) The excess winter deaths index is calculated as the excess number of winter deaths divided by the average number of non-winter deaths, expressed as a percentage.

Financial Ombudsman Service

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what percentage of complaints submitted to the Financial Ombudsman Service resolved (a) after investigation by an adjudicator and (b) by final decision of an ombudsman the complaint was (i) found to be outside the FOS jurisdiction, (ii) withdrawn by the customer, (iii) not treated fairly by the firm concerned, (iv) treated fairly by the firm concerned, (v) treated generally fairly but the firm had agreed a goodwill payment and (vi) been subject to an offer from the firm but the FOS negotiated an improved amount, broken down by stage at which the complaint was resolved.

John Healey: In the year ending 31 March 2005, the Financial Ombudsman Service received 110,963 cases and resolved 90,908 cases.
	The following table provides a breakdown of the outcome of cases in the categories asked for.
	
		Cases to year ended 31 March 2005
		
			  Percentage of cases resolved by an adjudicator Percentage of cases resolved by an ombudsman 
		
		
			 Cases found to be outside jurisdiction 9 11 
			 Cases withdrawn by the customer 5 1 
			 Cases where the customer had not been treated fairly by the firm concerned 36 32 
			 Cases where the customer had been treated fairly by the firm concerned 45 48 
			 Cases where the customer had been treated fairly but the firm concerned had agreed a goodwill payment 2 2 
			 Cases where the customer had received an offer from the firm concerned but the FOS negotiated an improved settlement 3 6

Government Balance Sheets

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what pension fund deficits of former nationalised industries are on the Government Balance Sheet.

Des Browne: Government Departments report all assets and liabilities in an open and transparent way in accordance with independently set accounting standards, which are based on those used in the private sector, and are subject to independent audit. Any government liabilities in respect of private sector pension funds are shown in individual departmental accounts but data is not held centrally on this.

HM Revenue and Customs

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether HM Revenue and Customs is proposing to change the facilities which they offer to taxpayers who call at their inquiry offices;
	(2)  if HM Revenue and Customs will take steps to ensure that any taxpayer who is disabled is always able to meet staff face-to-face when attending an inquiry office.

Dawn Primarolo: There are no proposals to change the facilities offered at inquiry centres.
	HMRC will continue to offer a face to face service to those who need it. All inquiry centres are disability discrimination compliant and have a range of special services including induction loops and crystal listening devices for those who are hard of hearing.

HM Revenue and Customs

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what public consultations his Department has undertaken in the last five years on changes to services provided to taxpayers who attend inquiry offices.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC has undertaken no such public consultations in the last five years. No changes have been made in that period to the services provided in inquiry centres other than to extend those services to new products (such as tax credits).

Ministerial Travel

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the cost was to public funds of his return from Israel on 9 November;
	(2)  what was the total cost of his two visits to Israel in the week beginning 7 November.

Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the additional cost was to public funds of his return from Israel on 9 November 2005.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave on 15 November 2005.

National Minimum Wage

Margaret Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies in Luton have been (a) fined and (b) forced to cease trading for non-compliance with the national minimum wage since it was introduced.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.

Near Cash Resources

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the maximum amount of near cash resources is that (a) Government Departments as a whole and (b) each Government Department can use in 2005–06 drawn from public underspending in financial year 2004–05.

Des Browne: The amount Departments can draw-down and use from underspending in previous years, known as end year flexibility (EYF), is not calculated on the basis of underspending in 2004–05 only but on cumulative underspends since the EYF scheme began. Resource EYF stocks carried into 2005–06 by Departments and in total were published in the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper (PEOWP) 2004–05 (Cm. 6639), copies of which were laid before the House and placed in the Library, Departmental drawdown of end-year flexibility entitlement is scrutinised by HM Treasury for tautness and realism and resulting budgetary limits are agreed and published in supplementary estimates in November and February.

PAC Report (Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster)

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  when he expects to reply to the Public Accounts Committee Report, The Accounts of the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster", published on 28 July;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the Public Accounts Committee Report, The Accounts of the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster", which was published on 28 July; and if he will seek to vary the method of accountability which applies to the Duchies.

John Healey: The Treasury Minute dated 7 November 2005 on the Nineteenth Report from the Committee of Public Accounts, Session 2004–05 (Cm 6682), gave the Government's response to the recommendations made direct to HM Treasury. The opportunity was also taken to publish the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster's responses to the recommendations made direct to them, within the same document as the Treasury Minute.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many cases where tax credit overpayments have been disputed (a) they have been written off, (b) additional tax credits have been awarded to deal with hardship and (c) have claimants in receipt of additional tax credits due to hardship, also (i) disputed their overpayment and (ii) had it written off in (A) 2003–04, (B) 2004–05 and (C) 2005–06 to date.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) wrote off around 150,000 disputed overpayment requests up to 30 September 2005.
	For numbers of additional tax credits payments I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 8 November 2005, Official Report, column 331W. HMRC does not hold information on the number of additional tax credits payments made to claimants who have disputed an overpayment or subsequently go on to dispute an overpayment.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether new members of staff in tax credit call centres have given advice to helpline callers before beginning training.

Dawn Primarolo: All new members of staff in the tax credit call centres receive the required training before giving advice to helpline callers. This training covers information on tax credits, relating to eligibility, entitlement, claiming and payment. In addition the training covers use of the computer system used within tax credits and also teaches them call handling skills/techniques. No adviser is able to give advice to a member of the public until this training has been completed.

Tax Credits

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will allow overpayments through the tax credit system to be repaid to the Exchequer in one lump sum rather than in instalments.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer to the reply to the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 20 January 2005, Official Report, columns 1103–04W.

Tax Credits

Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will recommence interrupted payments in respect of tax credit case no. JA 24 43 02 C (2005/09 012378); and if he will cease sending letters demanding repayment of sums allegedly overpaid.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 17 November 2005
	HM Revenue and Customs is statutorily debarred from disclosing information relating to the tax credits affairs of individuals. I have asked the Tax Credit Office to write to the hon. Gentleman about his constituent's case.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many awards of tax credits have been wrongly made to people subject to immigration control in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06 to date; and what the estimated value is of these overpayments.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not available except at disproportionate costs.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many tax credit cases from 2003–04 an overpayment was identified where there was no ongoing award.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested can be found in table 2 of 'Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics—Supplement on Payments in 2003–04'. The publication can be found on the HMRC website from the following link: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many child tax credit awards ended in 2003–04 because (a) a couple split up and the joint award ended and (b) a household went from being a lone parent to a couple household.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available and can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Tax Credits

Vera Baird: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many working tax credit overpayments have resulted in weekly repayments in excess of £50 in Redcar and Cleveland in the last 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit underpayments resulted from an error in which a child or children were no longer shown on an award notice.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not available.

Tsunami Appeal

Katy Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax arrangements were made by the Treasury regarding the proceeds of the Tsunami appeal in the UK.

Dawn Primarolo: Charities raising money for the Tsunami benefit from the same tax reliefs available to all UK charities.

Vehicle Taxation

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the merits of changing the system of taxation of vehicles at point of sale to promote the use of fuel-efficient vehicles.

John Healey: The Chancellor keeps all taxation policy under review giving consideration to all relevant economic, social and environmental factors in the context of the Budget process.

World GDP

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what forecasts he has made of the proportionate share of world gross domestic product in (a) 2010, (b) 2025 and (c) 2050 which can be expected to be won by (i) the EU, (ii) the US, (iii) China and (iv) India.

Ivan Lewis: HM Treasury does not forecast shares of world GDP. However, HMT published estimated shares of world GDP (at purchasing power parity) for selected countries in 2015, in the paper Long term economic challenges and opportunities for the UK", which accompanied the 2004 pre-Budget report (see chart 3.2, p23).
	Updated information is set out in the following table. HMT estimates do not extend beyond 2015, nor do they provide a figure for the EU.
	
		World GDP shares—percentage (in purchasing power parity)
		
			 Country 2004 2010(18) 
		
		
			 US 20.9 20.0 
			 China 13.2 16.5 
			 India 5.9 6.9 
		
	
	(18) Estimates.
	Note:
	These estimates are subject to considerable uncertainties and do not constitute formal HMT forecasts.
	Source:
	IMF, Consensus forecasts, HMT

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much money was disbursed to Afghan farmers as compensation for the destruction of poppies in 2003; and how much remains to be paid.

Kim Howells: In 2003, the Afghan Transitional Authority ran a non-compensated eradication programme through the provincial governors. No compensation, therefore, was disbursed to Afghan farmers during this year.

Afghanistan

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the UK Government's attempts to tackle poppy production in the Nangarhar area of Afghanistan.

Kim Howells: The UK, as lead nation on counter narcotics (CN), remains committed to supporting the Afghan Government in the implementation of their comprehensive 2005 CN Implementation Plan and in updating their National Drug Control Strategy. We continue to work with the Afghan Government and others to increase activity in all areas of their strategy. As well as co-ordinating the activity of international partners, we are providing substantial financial and practical support—more than £270 million over the next three years. I refer to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Mr. Gibb) on 6 June 2005, Official Report, column 235W, on the counter narcotics programme in Afghanistan which includes support to Nangarhar.
	In August, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) announced provisional cultivation figures for 2004–05 from their annual poppy survey, which showed that cultivation had dropped by 21 per cent. to 104,000 hectares in Afghanistan. Nangarhar saw the greatest decrease, with opium poppy cultivation dropping by 96 per cent. to 1,093 hectares. Success can be partly attributed to an effective Government of Afghanistan communications campaign in late 2004–05, which we supported, alongside Governor-led eradication initiatives and a market adjustment to high levels of cultivation in 2004. UNODC are due to publish their final report in the next few weeks, but these figures are unlikely to change.

Afghanistan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many countries are being invited to the forthcoming London conference on the future of Afghanistan; and whether Iran is included.

Kim Howells: While the conference has not yet been formally announced, planning is now under way. The finalised invitation list will closely follow that for the Berlin Conference in 2004. Iran will be invited.

Afghanistan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what grounds candidates were disqualified from standing in the recent Afghan elections; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: A full list of disqualified candidates, with reasons, is available on the Electoral Complaints Commission website at www.ecc.org.af.

Ambassadors (Honours)

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many serving United Kingdom ambassadors have (a) received and (b) not received honours.

Jack Straw: Of the current 147 ambassadors (which includes heads of delegation/permanent representatives to international organisations who hold the personal rank of ambassador) and high commissioners, 58 have received honours during their careers and 89 have not.

Arms Trade

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the percentage of British (a) produced and (b) brokered arms whose end users are embargoed.

Kim Howells: The Government take the enforcement of UN and other arms embargoes seriously, and is proud of the UK's robust and transparent system of export controls. The UK therefore issues licences for the export or brokering of military goods to destinations and end users covered by an arms embargo only where supply would be consistent with exemptions to the embargo concerned, for example, for humanitarian end-use. We do not issue licenses for destinations where there is a clear risk that exported items might be diverted to embargoed states. Any potential breach of UN and other arms embargoes is investigated thoroughly.

Arms Trade

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to support an international arms trade treaty.

Kim Howells: The Government have been pursuing the initiative for an international Arms Trade Treaty during the UK's presidencies of the G8 and of the EU. At Gleneagles in July, Heads of State of the G8 agreed that the
	development of international standards in arms transfers . . . would be an important step toward tackling the undesirable proliferation of conventional arms".
	On 3 October EU Foreign Ministers added the EU's voice to the growing support for an international treaty to establish common standards for the global trade in conventional arms, and called for the start of a formal negotiation process at the UN at the earliest opportunity. The Government will continue to work to build the broad consensus needed to secure the start to negotiations in the UN.

Arms Trade

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the merits of a legally binding treaty on marking and tracing small arms.

Kim Howells: The Open Ended Working Group that ended in New York on 17 June 2005 reached a consensus on a politically binding document. This is a first and important step in the implementation of the 2001 United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons demonstrates acceptance of the principle that such weapons should be marked and traced in an agreed manner. The UK believes that implementation will be more effective if an agreement is legally binding. The UK would welcome further discussion at the June 2006 Review Conference on this issue as well as on transfer controls. We hope that discussions on the establishment of a Group of Government Experts to look at all aspects of illicit brokering, will lead in due course to a new legally binding instrument.

Arms Trade

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to increase the (a) resources and (b) capacity available to enforce arms controls.

Kim Howells: Advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to the Department of Trade and Industry on the majority of export licence applications is carried out by the 15 member Export Licensing Team (ELT) in Counter Proliferation Department. At the beginning of 2005, the FCO began to centralise the FCO's export licensing work in the ELT, in order to improve efficiency. FCO performance for Standard Individual Export Licences currently exceeds targets (e.g. 93 per cent. of FCO recommendations are made within 10 working days, against a target of 70 per cent.). Audits of recommendations confirm that they are fully consistent with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. The FCO is continuing to improve processing to ensure that performance for all licence types remains high.

Arms Trade

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to assert full extra-territorial controls on arms brokering, including small arms.

Kim Howells: The Export Control Act (2002) introduced comprehensive controls on the brokering of all equipment on the UK's Military List where any part of the activity takes place in the UK. In addition, where a UN or full-scope EU, Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe or UK national arms embargo is in place, these controls extend extra-territorially to UK nationals wherever they are.
	The Government continues to believe that, given the very real concerns about conflict of jurisdiction, and over administration and enforcement, extra-territorial controls should only be applied to the most sensitive transfers. The Government believes that, in most cases, multilateral action remains the most effective way to combat the illicit and irresponsible trade in small arms and light weapons. This approach is at the heart of our support for the UN Programme of Action on small arms and light weapons, and for a treaty on the international arms trade.

BBC World Service

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the possible impact of cuts to the BBC World Service radio provision upon (a) the UK's international standing and reputation and (b) the success of British foreign policy.

Jack Straw: The BBC World Service (BBCWS) contributes to Britain's international standing and reputation by being the world's best-known and most respected voice in international broadcasting. To maintain its position, BBCWS must continually take into account shifting global priorities, new technologies and changing audience preferences. Failure to do so would inevitably reduce the impact and value for money.
	While continuing to provide global services in English, the BBCWS, in response to the Government's Green Paper, has reprioritised its vernacular services to focus on the countries where they can have most impact and where there is the greatest need. It was right to do so. Further reprioritisation will be necessary in the future. The closure of low impact services has released resources for investment in new media services, including the launch of a 12-hour Arabic TV service.

Bulgaria

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the EU's Comprehensive Monitoring Report's findings in relation to the justice system in Bulgaria.

Douglas Alexander: The Commission states in its Comprehensive Monitoring Report of 25 October that Bulgaria should continue with its efforts to reform the pre-trial phase and improve the accountability of the justice system. We support its assessment.

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what mechanisms are in place to assess the effectiveness of consultant-led projects in his Department; what sanctions are available to penalise consultants who run unsuccessful projects; how many projects conducted by consultants were assessed as unsuccessful in each year since 2000; and what sanctions were imposed.

Jack Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) assesses the effectiveness of consultant-led projects through defined project management processes based on the Office of Government Commerce good practice. Evaluation of success or otherwise is carried out through review processes both at the end of stages within a project, drawing out lessons learned that can be immediately incorporated into later stages of the same project, and through final evaluation in project evaluation reports and post implementation reviews.
	FCO contracts do not include penalty clauses as these are not enforceable in English law. The FCO seeks to reach agreement at the outset on the genuine losses that would be incurred by the FCO in the event of a failure to deliver. These then form the basis of any damages payable to the FCO and are included in the contract as liquidated damages. The FCO also makes wide use of service credit regimes where performance failures lead to pre-agreed reductions in payments to the contractor.
	The FCO does not hold a centralised record of projects conducted by consultants that have been assessed as unsuccessful and the sanctions imposed. This information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Department takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses while working for his Department and its agencies.

Jack Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office agrees the level of expenses that may be claimed by consultancies through a fully itemised pricing schedule in each contract. This includes travel, travel time, subsistence/expenses, leave and leave relief.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, of 7 December 2004 regarding the Middle East peace process (acknowledgement reference 1 84476/04).

Kim Howells: I apologise for the delay. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will reply to my right hon. Friend shortly.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, of 9 May 2005 on behalf of a constituent, Carol Parsons, (acknowledgement reference 1 88801/05).

Ian Pearson: According to Foreign and Commonwealth Office records my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary replied to my right hon. Friend on 11 May 2005.1 will ensure that a copy of the letter is sent to my right hon. Friend for information.

Departmental Contracts (Direct Mail)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contracts for direct mail were signed by his Department in (a) 2005–06 to date and (b) 2004–05; and what the value was in each case.

Jack Straw: No contracts have been signed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the financial year 2005–06 to date.
	In the financial year 2004–05 one contract was signed with the Central Office of Information. This was for the distribution of EU guides to organisations on the Benefits Agency publicity register (including Citizens Advice Bureaux, doctors surgeries, Post Offices etc). The contract was worth £38,859.68 inclusive of VAT.

Departmental Spending

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on items of art in 2004–05.

Jack Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office spent a total of £3,658 on the purchase of works of art in the financial year 2004–05. This was all spent as part of the restoration of the Consulate in Istanbul.
	As far as renovation and restoration etc. of works of art is concerned, records of this are not kept centrally.

Equal Opportunities

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on recent activity by his Department's (a) Gender Advisory Group and (b) Disability Action Group, with particular reference to official meetings with outside bodies.

Jack Straw: The Gender Advisory Group, a group of staff from all grades and departments around the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), chaired by the board champion on gender, Mr. Martin Donnelly, has met three times this year. The meetings have included discussions on a wide range of gender issues, including role models, an internal study on career progression for women, and the FCO nursery. Alison Platt, non-executive member of the FCO board and a member of Opportunity Now's leadership team, attended June's meeting. There have also been targeted meetings for women intending to attend internal assessment and development centres. The group has been consulted about the FCO's targets for women in the senior management structure and feeder grades, and on the streamlining of the FCO's human resources operation. The FCO hosted an Opportunity Now seminar in May and members have attended other gender-related seminars. The group's chair has called on Waqar Azmi, the civil service diversity adviser.
	The Disability Action Group, a group of staff from all grades and departments around the FCO, including the board champion on disability, Mr. Dickie Stagg, has met three times this year. The meetings have included discussions on a wide range of disability issues, in particular for staff overseas, support and training for managers of disabled staff, disabled access at overseas posts, accessibility of FCO literature and websites, the FCO's disability policy and disability training. The group has been consulted about the FCO's targets for disabled officers in the senior management structure and feeder grades, and on the streamlining of the FCO's human resources operation. The group completed the Employers' Forum on Disability (EFD) Benchmark for the FCO and members of the group have attended EFD breakfast briefings. A personal development programme, run by Disability Matters, was held for disabled staff in April and May this year. Members of the group have met their counterparts in the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

Ethiopia/Eritrea

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Ethiopian Government concerning the recent violence in Ethiopia, with particular reference to relations between the Ethiopian People's Democratic Front and the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: We are gravely concerned about the outbreak of violence in Ethiopia since 1 November which has resulted in a number of deaths and injuries and a large number of detentions, including of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy leadership and civil society and media leaders.
	On 6 November, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn) spoke to Prime Minister Meles. This followed action by my noble Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Africa (Lord Triesman of Tottenham) who summoned the Ethiopian Charge" d'Affaires on 1 November to register our concerns. Our ambassador in Ethiopia has also raised our concerns with both Prime Minister Meles and with the Ethiopian Foreign Minister.
	In our capacity as presidency of the European Union, our ambassador to Ethiopia held a press conference in Addis Ababa with the United States ambassador on 6 November, where we called for the Government to restore peace and confidence in the democracy building process by ensuring due process of law and respect for human rights.

Ethiopia/Eritrea

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) the Government of Ethiopia and (b) the Government of Eritrea regarding the escalation of tensions along the Ethiopia-Eritrea border.

Ian Pearson: We are working within the United Nations Security Council to ensure that the matter is urgently addressed. A UN resolution on this issue is currently being discussed. We are also working with European Union (EU) partners to urge the Eritreans to lift the restrictions put on UN helicopter flights and vehicle movements. As EU presidency, our ambassador to Ethiopia also raised this issue with Prime Minister Meles and urged continuing restraint. My noble Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Africa (Lord Triesman of Tottenham) made this clear to the Eritrean ambassador on 28 July and again on 18 October.

Foreign Decorations

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether a previous decision by the Government to award a campaign service medal or clasp is a relevant factor in decisions taken subsequently to grant or refuse permission for a medal offered by a foreign government in respect of the same campaign to be (a) accepted and (b) worn.

Jack Straw: Yes, I am informed that such decisions have been seen as relevant factors in decisions relating to the subsequent accepting and wearing of non-British awards.

G8 Global Partnership

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 31 October 2005, Official Report, columns 753–54W, on non-proliferation, what assessment he has made of whether instruments being defined for the next Financial Perspective 2007 to 2013 will allow community financing to support projects being implemented through legal and administrative frameworks created by countries participating in the G8 Global Partnership.

Jack Straw: We believe that only those measures to support the G8 Global Partnership that fall within Community competence should be financed by Community instruments. This means that not all projects to support the G8 Global Partnership can be funded by Community Instruments. However, there are also proposals on the table for a Joint Action in support of specific Global Partnership projects, to be funded from the Common Foreign and Security Policy budget. As I said in my answer of 31 October 2005, Official Report, columns 753–54W, on non-proliferation, we want to ensure that the overall package agreed for the EU's next Financial Perspective provides sufficient resources to allow the Community to contribute to the EU's non proliferation objectives, including those under the Global Partnership, within an overall budget of no more than 1 per cent. of EU Gross National Income.

Holy See

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who has been appointed as the UK's Ambassador to the Holy See; when the announcement was made public; how it was publicised; what the new Ambassador's (a) background and (b) experience is; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Mr. Francis Campbell has been appointed as the next British Ambassador to the Holy See. The appointment was announced, in the usual way, in an FCO press notice on 15 November 2005. The Permanent Under Secretary also wrote to the Foreign Affairs Committee to inform them of the appointment. I have arranged for copies of the press notice, which includes Mr. Campbell's CV, to be placed in the Library of the House.

Iran

John Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Iran has imposed restrictions on UK imports; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We have received a number of reports about recent restrictions on the import into Iran of goods of UK origin. The Iranian authorities have not confirmed that restrictions are in place. UK Trade and Investment and the British embassy in Tehran are advising British companies in response to individual inquiries and via their websites. We continue to monitor the situation.

Iraq

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funds from the Development Fund for Iraq are not accounted for.

Jack Straw: The Government are not aware that there are any funds from the Development Fund for Iraq unaccounted for. Although the audit of the Development Fund for Iraq's financial management under the Coalition Provisional Authority between May 2003 and June 2004, carried out by the US Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction and the external auditor KPMG, found $8.8 billion of funds to have less than adequate financial controls, the audit did not assert that this money could not be accounted for.
	The UK, alongside the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and other donors, continues to work with the Iraqi Government to improve accountability and transparency in Iraq's public finances.

Iraq

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Carmarthen, East and Dinefwr (Adam Price) of 1 November 2005, Official Report, columns 949–50W, on Iraq, if he will place in the Library a copy of the survey to which he refers; and whether he has any plans to fund further such surveys.

Kim Howells: A copy of the public opinion survey will be placed in the Library of the House. There are no plans to carry out any further similar surveys.

Iraq

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2005, Official Report, column 174W, on the Iraq-Niger uranium deal, if he will ascertain from Senator Rockefeller's office when the Senator expects his investigation to report; and if he will place the information he receives in the Library.

Kim Howells: We have asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation when their investigation will be completed, but they are not yet in a position to give any indication.

Ivory Coast

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the enforcement of the arms embargo imposed upon the Ivory Coast.

Ian Pearson: The Government's assessment of the effectiveness of the arms embargo on Cote d'Ivoire is based on the reports of the UN group of experts, set up by the UN Security Council to monitor the arms embargo. In its latest report, the group of experts stated that, since the imposition of the arms embargo on Cote d'Ivoire the Government of Cote d'Ivoire has restrained procurement of weapons and munitions. The group found no evidence of recent deliveries of weapons and ammunition to the most prominent militias. However, the group of experts did highlight some cases where the embargo may have been breached. The UN Security Council is now carefully considering these cases. The UK continues, through its membership of the UN Security Council and relevant UN Sanctions Committee, to press for robust enforcement of the UN arms embargo.

Ministerial Travel

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost was of rearranging his flight from Moscow on 9 November; and whether the cost was met by public funds.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Peter Luff) on 16 November 2005, Official Report, columns 1267–68W.

National Minimum Wage

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many employees in his Department were affected by the rise in the national minimum wage on 1 October.

Jack Straw: None.

Nuclear Non-proliferation

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 31 October 2005, Official Report, columns 753–54W, on non-proliferation, whether he expects the Stability Instrument in the Financial Perspective 2007–13 to enable the financing of programmes that (a) provide support to chemical weapon destruction facilities and (b) relate to bio-safety.

Jack Straw: The current draft of the Stability Instrument under discussion in Brussels does not provide for funding to finance programmes that provide support for chemical weapon destruction facilities or that relate to bio-safety. This instrument is intended to finance assistance to help establish, re-establish or maintain the essential conditions necessary to permit the effective implementation of the European Community's development assistance and co-operation policies and to contribute to the reinforcement of stability, in particular in a situation of crisis or emerging crisis.

Public Service Agreement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which data sources he will use to measure progress against 2004 Public Service Agreement target number 2.

Jack Straw: The 2004 Public Service Agreement (PSA) target number 2 covers Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) work on reducing the risk from international terrorism".
	The FCO will use a variety of data sources including the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre's assessments of international terrorist threats and of terrorism trends, networks and capabilities; reporting from our diplomatic posts on trends in other governments' will and capacity to counter terrorism, and their success, or otherwise, in doing so; evaluations of our counter-terrorism capacity-building programmes in priority countries; and reports from government experts on the enhancement of protective security measures which reduce the vulnerability of UK citizens and UK interests overseas.
	As with other Government Departments, the FCO publishes an Autumn Performance Report containing progress against our PSA targets. The 2005 report will be published by early December and will be available in the Library of the House. It will contain information on the data sources used to generate performance assessments.

Public Service Agreement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which data sources he will use to measure progress against 2004 Public Service Agreement target number 4.

Jack Straw: The 2004 Public Service Agreement (PSA) target number 4 covers Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) work on promoting a reformed and effective EU", ranging from future financing to the Common Foreign and Security Policy. As this target touches on a wide variety of FCO activity, we draw on many data sources to measure progress across the target.
	These sources include: internal judgments made by the FCO and other Departments, based on feedback inter alia from other member states and the EU institutions; the outcome of Council and other EU-level meetings; political reporting from our Diplomatic Posts; and media commentary in the UK and across the rest of Europe. We use the Eurobarometer opinion poll to measure public awareness of the EU.
	As with other Government Departments, the FCO publishes an Autumn Performance Report containing progress against our PSA targets. The 2005 report will be published by early December and will be available in the Library of the House. It will contain information on the data sources used to generate performance assessments.

Public Service Agreement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which data sources he will use to measure progress against 2004 public service agreement target number 7.

Jack Straw: The 2004 public service agreement (PSA) target number 7 covers Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) work on increasing
	understanding of and engagement with, Islamic countries and communities",
	and promoting political and socio-economic reform.
	Our data sources for measuring progress against this target will include Freedom House, EU Neighbourhood Policy Action Plans, World Bank regional studies, United Nations Development Programme—Human Development Reports, Pew Global Attitudes Surveys and other surveys.
	As with other Government Departments, the FCO publishes an autumn performance report containing progress against our PSA targets. The 2005 report will be published by early December and will be available in the Library of the House. It will contain information on the data sources used to generate performance assessments.

Public Service Agreement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the 2004 public service agreement target number 9 applies to each year within the target period.

Jack Straw: Yes.

Public Service Agreement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which data sources he will use to measure progress against 2004 public service agreement target number 8.

Jack Straw: The 2004 public service agreement (PSA) target number 8 covers Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) work on promoting
	sustainable development, underpinned by democracy, good governance and human rights".
	Details of the data sources we use to assess performance across this target are contained in the FCO's PSA 'Technical Note'. This document is available on the FCO website. Pages 33 to 36 relate to PSA 8:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/KFile/SR04PSATechnicalNote.0.pdf.
	Delivery of the PSA is also supported by the Global Opportunities Fund Sustainable Development Programme, which provides £5 million per year for sustainable development and human rights projects in priority countries. Progress is measured individually for each project.
	Specific aims, targets and objectives on the issues covered by PSA 8 are set out in our Sustainable Development Strategy and our Strategy on Human Rights, Democracy and Good Governance, both available at www.fco.gov.uk.
	As with other Government Departments, the FCO publishes an autumn performance report (APR) containing progress against our PSA targets. The 2005 report will be published by early December and will be available in the Library of the House. It will contain information on the data sources used to generate performance assessments.

Recruitment Practices

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in reforming recruitment practices within his Department.

Jack Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is constantly striving to improve its recruitment practices. For instance, in order to improve our diversity and bring in expertise from the private sector, we are opening up more senior jobs to open competition. These include the Ambassador to the Holy See, the Director of UKVisas, the Legal Adviser and the Head of Science and Innovation.
	In addition, we are streamlining our recruitment processes at administrative, operational and policy entry levels by using the latest on-line application and sifting packages and following a proactive diversity advertising policy.
	All of this is considered with the fundamental principle of the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code, which states that selection for appointment should be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.

Russia

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the additional cost was to public funds of his return from Moscow on 9 November.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Peter Luff) on 16 November 2005, Official Report, columns 1267–68.

Senegal

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) the Government of Senegal, (b) other Governments in Africa and (c) his EU counterparts regarding the extradition of Hissene Habre to Belgium.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) on 16 November 2005, Official Report, column 1270W. In addition I can confirm that we have not had any discussions concerning the extradition of Hissene Habre with other Governments in Africa. This issue was briefly discussed in the EU Africa Working Group on 12 October 2005.

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department has provided to Mr. Andrew Gaudyn, whose daughter was abducted to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The British High Commission in Nicosia and Child Abduction Section (CAS) at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have been in regular contact with Mr. Gaudyn and will continue to provide appropriate consular assistance. An official from CAS attended a meeting with Mr. Gaudyn's solicitor, the Crown Prosecution Service, Gwent Police and the National Criminal Intelligence Service to discuss the case on 20 October.

US Detention Centres

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information (a) he and (b) his officials have received of detention centres operated by the United States Administration situated in (i) European Union states and (ii) other European states.

Jack Straw: None.

CABINET OFFICE

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list departmental projects conducted by consultants in each year since 2000; what the cost was in each case; and what the total cost of employing consultants was in each year.

Jim Murphy: All projects in the Department are conducted by senior responsible owners who are civil servants; they may engage consultants to provide advice and assistance with the delivery of a project.
	Information about the involvement of consultants in individual projects, and the cost of these, is not held centrally and may not be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs.
	The total expenditure on the use of consultants since 2000 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2000–01 10.93 
			 2001–02 16.88 
			 2002–03 13.39 
			 2003–04 15.93 
			 2004–05 12.70 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures relating to financial years prior to 2001–02 include Centre for Management and Policy Studies, Regional Co-ordination Unit, Government Car and Despatch Agency and Central Office of Information. Figures from 2002–03 include 'core' Cabinet Office only.

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps the Department takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses while working for the Department and its agencies.

Jim Murphy: When engaging consultancies the Department would include, as part of its contract, terms and conditions which would provide for reasonable expenses to be reimbursed against receipts. That, in conjunction with appropriately robust contract management arrangements, ensures that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses.

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what mechanisms are in place to assess the effectiveness of consultant-led projects in his Department; what sanctions are available to penalise consultants who run unsuccessful projects; how many projects conducted by consultants were assessed as unsuccessful in each year since 2000; and what sanctions were imposed in each case.

Jim Murphy: All projects in the Department are led by senior responsible owners who are civil servants; they may engage consultants to provide advice and assistance with the delivery of a project.
	When engaging consultants the Department would include, as part of the contract, terms and conditions that would provide sanctions should they fail to meet contractual obligations. That, in conjunction with appropriately robust contract management arrangements ensures consultants deliver work within the terms and conditions of their contract. If they were to breach their contract we would exercise our right to invoke our legal rights under the terms and conditions of the contract.

Public Service Agreement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what data sources he will use for the purposes of measuring performance against 2004 public service agreement target number 3.

Jim Murphy: Data sources for measuring performance against public service agreement (PSA) targets can be found in the technical notes which are in the public domain and are available on the Cabinet Office website at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/reports/service-delivery/2005/index.asp.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Leader of the House 
	(1)  what mechanisms are in place to assess the effectiveness of consultant-led projects in his Office; what sanctions are available to penalise consultants who run unsuccessful projects; how many projects conducted by consultants were assessed as unsuccessful in each year since 2000; and what sanctions were imposed in each case;
	(2)  if he will list projects conducted for his Office by consultants in each year since 2000; what the cost was in each case; and what the total cost of employing consultants was in each year;
	(3)  what steps his Office takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses.

Geoff Hoon: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons has employed consultants on only one occasion since 2000, and this was successful.
	
		
			  Details of consultants employed 
		
		
			 Date August 2005 
			 ProjectReview of database technical applications 
			 Cost £3,760 
			 Total costs £3,760 
		
	
	No provision was made to enable them to claim expenses.
	When letting consultancy projects, we follow the principles and practices set out in the Office of Government Commerce's best practice guidance, Delivering world-class consultancy services in the public sector".

Modernisation

Ben Chapman: To ask the Leader of the House what assessment he has made of the new working hours of the House.

Geoff Hoon: I have made no formal assessment of the new arrangements.
	The new working hours were agreed following a debate on 26 January this year. Given the recent history on this subject, it seems reasonable to allow time for the new hours to be tested. I do not plan to revisit this issue in the immediate future, but I remain open to representations.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

New Churches

Philip Hollobone: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners if he will make a statement on the Church Commissioners' policy on encouraging the establishment of churches in new residential areas.

Stuart Bell: The Church Commissioners do not have a policy on the establishment of churches in new residential areas, an initiative which lies with individual dioceses. They do however make available over £4 million p.a. to support dioceses' mission initiatives.

Zurbaran Paintings

Helen Goodman: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners if he will make a statement on the future of the Zubara"n paintings owned by the Commissioners, which hang in Auckland Castle.

Stuart Bell: The Commissioners' Board of Governors recently agreed to retain ownership of the paintings and to re-examine their future, along with the suitability of Auckland Castle, in five years.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money was disbursed to Afghan farmers as compensation for the destruction of poppies in 2003; and how much remains to be paid.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	In 2003, the Afghan Transitional Authority ran a non-compensated eradication programme through the provincial governors. No compensation, therefore, was disbursed to Afghan farmers during this year.

Climate Change

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the implications of climate change for humanitarian response; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Disaster risk reduction is a key part of adaptation to climate change. The UK is working with the international community to help developing countries improve climate information and manage climate risks.
	DFID is part of an informal donors' group on climate change called the Vulnerability and Adaptation Resource Group (VARG). Through VARG, DFID has been involved in the production of a paper entitled Poverty and Climate Change" (2003) which highlighted the growing significance of climate change on development and called for action to manage related risks. We are now working with other donors on a second paper on disaster risk reduction and climate change. This paper will seek to identify links between disaster prevention and climate change adaptation and to highlight any potential conflicts in current approaches.
	DFID is also working with the UN, World Bank and developing countries, particularly the most disaster prone, to help them tackle disaster risk more effectively. We plan to publish a policy and implementation plan on our approach to disaster risk reduction later this year. This will include ways in which we aim to integrate climate change adaptation into disaster risk reduction work.
	At Gleneagles, G8 Heads invited the World Bank to develop and implement best practice" guidelines for screening investments in climate sensitive sectors. The aim would be to determine how impacts related to climate change might affect the performance of such investments. For example, investments in long-life infrastructure, such as housing, roads, bridges and industry, could be at increased risk of flooding or hurricanes. G8 Heads further encouraged all major bilateral and multilateral development organisations to follow suit. DFID is working to begin implementation of such arrangements by 2008. This is in line with the Commission for Africa recommendation.

Correspondence

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when his Department will respond to the letter of 24 August 2004 sent by Mrs. Susie Howard with regard to the SAT rural education programme in Honduras (JFS 1353).

Gareth Thomas: DFID offers its sincere apologies for the delay in responding to the letter from Mrs. Susie Howard.
	The letter was addressed to a senior education adviser, but unfortunately at that time he had left that position, having been posted to Thailand.
	A DFID official spoke with Mrs. Susie Howard explaining the delay and apologies were offered together with assurances that her letter would be answered by the end of November 2005.
	The letter from DFID will respond to the suggestions made by Mrs. Susie Howard regarding the SAT rural programme in Honduras.

Departmental Staff

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many personnel were employed in his Department in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) civil servants, (b) contractors and (c) other staff.

Hilary Benn: Details of DFID home civil service (HCS) staff numbers are published in Civil Service Statistics which are available in the Library of the House of Commons and on the Cabinet Office Statistics website at: http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_ of_the_civil_service/statistics/civil_service_statistics/index.asp
	For ease of reference, these figures since 1997 are detailed in the following table:
	
		
			  (a) DFID HCS number 
		
		
			 1997 1,000 
			 1998 1,050 
			 1999 1,160 
			 2000 1,210 
			 2001 1,260 
			 2002 1,520 
			 2003 1,600 
			 2004 1,780 
			 2005 1,880 
		
	
	No historical records are available of the number of contractors engaged by the organisation that would enable us to provide the information requested.
	In addition to our home civil service personnel, DFID employs staff in country in our overseas offices. Historically we have also employed staff on fixed-term technical co-operation contracts (TCOs), although these arrangements were discontinued in July 2002. The numbers of personnel in each of these categories are as follows:
	
		
			  Staff appointed in country (SAIC), i.e. locally engaged staff overseas Fixed-term contract staff serving on development projects overseas 
		
		
			 1997 330 621 
			 1998 356 537 
			 1999 280 490 
			 2000 404 666 
			 2001 424 575 
			 2002 739 436 
			 2003 874 333 
			 2004 914 182 
			 2005 989 (19)48 
		
	
	(19) Still serving on contracts started before July 2002.
	Details of our casual and agency temporary staff numbers are not held centrally within DFID and could be obtained only by incurring a disproportionate cost to the organisation.

Departmental Staff

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many employees have been dismissed by his Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: Over the last five years, the number of staff who have been dismissed by DFID, are shown in the table:
	
		
			 Year of dismissal (1 April to 30 March) Total 
		
		
			 2000–01 0 
			 2001–02 1 
			 2002–03 7 
			 2003–04 5 
			 2004–05 8 
			 2005–06 (To date) 5 
		
	
	This data includes all dismissals in our Headquarter offices in the UK and our offices overseas, where we employ both UK-based staff and staff appointed in country.

International Monetary Fund/World Bank

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the (a) International Monetary Fund and (b) World Bank is more transparent and accountable in its operations.

Hilary Benn: The UK has consistently pushed for improvements in transparency and accountability at both the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). Both organisations now make a large proportion of their information public.
	In the IMF, all major policy documents, summaries of board discussions and country documents are made publicly available with the consent of the country authorities. The Independent Evaluation Office provides comprehensive independent scrutiny of the IMF's work and we are currently contributing to an external evaluation of its effectiveness.
	Nearly all World Bank documents are made public. The World Bank has also established approximately 65 Public Information Centres around the world, which provide the general public with copies of its publications and access to its website.
	The UK has consistently pressed the World Bank to publish more information, for example, board minutes, executive directors' statements, and country policy and institutional assessment (CPIA) scores. CPIA scores play a significant role in determining how the World Bank allocates its concessional resources.
	Partly as a result of our efforts, a revised World Bank disclosure policy was approved in March 2005. Board minutes will now be made public. All country assistance strategies will be made public as a rule. There will also be a pilot programme of publishing some board documents at the same time as they are sent to the board. In addition, this year, it was agreed that the World Bank would disclose CPIA scores, starting with the 2005 CPIA exercise. We regard these recent moves as significant steps in the right direction. However, we will continue to press for further improvements to transparency and accountability in the World Bank and IMF.

Pakistan

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he is making funds available to charter helicopters in Pakistan to take relief aid to remote communities in Kashmir; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID's contributions to the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) includes support for the provision of helicopters to deliver relief supplies and undertake medical evacuations. Two Puma helicopters for the ICRC were transported to Pakistan by the Ministry of Defence from Spain. We have also funded the marginal costs of three British military heavy-lift CH-47 Chinook helicopters that have been carrying out humanitarian assistance flights since 28 October. In addition, DFID has channelled more than £2.2 million through the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) for helicopter provision.
	On 17 November, the United Nations reported a total of 98 helicopters in operation and another eight due to arrive in the area, though the number of helicopters flying on any one day can vary due to weather conditions and maintenance. It is important that the helicopter operation is maintained while relief needs remain. Therefore, the British Government has been actively urging donors to ensure sufficient funding to maintain the United Nations helicopter fleet and we are also considering further support to UNHAS.

Special Advisers

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the special advisers in post in his Department, broken down by pay band; and what the total budgeted cost to his Department of special advisers is for 2005–06.

Hilary Benn: Since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the names and overall cost of special advisers and the number in each pay band. For the most recent information I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister on 21 July 2005, Official Report, columns 158–162WS.
	Information on the numbers of special advisers prior to 2003 was provided at regular intervals and this information will be available in the Library of the House.
	Information relating to costs for 2005–06 will be published after the end of the current financial year.

St. Helena

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development why contractors were appointed in respect of the proposed airport on St. Helena before an environmental impact assessment had been carried out.

Gareth Thomas: Contractors have not yet been appointed. An independent team is currently in St. Helena, carrying out an environmental impact assessment. Prequalification of potentially suitable contractors for the airport construction is being undertaken in parallel with this work; and a notice seeking capability statements was issued last month in the Official Journal of the European Union. The invitation to tender for the airport construction contract will be issued only once the outcome of the environmental impact assessment has been incorporated into the tender documents.

St. Helena

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the planning inquiry process followed in respect of the proposed airport on St. Helena.

Gareth Thomas: The St. Helena Government are fully involved in planning for the airport. A planning application will be submitted in accordance with prevailing local legislation, prior to issue of an invitation to tender for design, construction and operation of the airport. Independent expertise will be provided to assist in reviewing the application.

St. Helena

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what statutory controls are in place to protect the environment on St. Helena, with particular reference to (a) the feeding ground of the St. Helena firebird and (b) the native Giant Earwig; and what steps the Joint Nature Conservancy Council has taken on this issue.

Gareth Thomas: So far as we know, there is not a bird species known as 'the firebird' in St. Helena. But there is a 'Wirebird' (Charadrius sanctaehelenae), that is endemic to the island. It is currently protected under St. Helena's Endangered Species Protection Ordinance 1996 (as revised in 2001) and is specifically listed in the schedule to the ordinance.
	The Giant Earwig (Labidura herculeana) is believed to be extinct. We understand live specimens were last seen in the late 1960s. Subsequent attempts to find it, including by the Zoological Society of London, have failed. Were it to be rediscovered, it would be eligible for protection under the same ordinance. It is not currently listed in the schedule.
	The Joint Nature Conservation Committee, although not directly involved in matters relating to these two species, is aware of their conservation status through contacts with Government Departments and the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum.

St. Helena

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development why members of the Planning and Development Board on St. Helena have been required to sign the Official Secrets Acts.

Gareth Thomas: The St. Helena Development Board, which provides policy advice to the St. Helena Executive Council, includes representatives of the island community who are not employed as public servants. Although its work is conducted as openly as possible, with summaries of its discussions made available, the board occasionally considers material which is commercially or otherwise sensitive. All board members, therefore, have been required to make the same commitment to confidentiality as is normally required of public servants.

United States

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what grounds the US blocked packaged meals donated by the UK for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Hilary Benn: The United Kingdom delivered around 475,000 operational ration packs in response to a specific and urgent request from the United States' authorities following Hurricane Katrina. Some of the packs were distributed to the disaster area but the majority were impounded because they did not comply with US regulations concerning the import of processed meat products from the rest of the world. They also fell foul of a ban on the import of ruminant products from the EU. The UK was not aware that there was a danger of the packs being impounded until after a majority of the ration packs had been sent to the US. Once informed of the problem, the UK stopped the despatch of any further packs from the UK.

United States

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has made to encourage the US authorities to accept British beef when offered as humanitarian aid.

Hilary Benn: I have not made any representations to the US authorities about accepting British beef when offered as humanitarian aid. The humanitarian circumstances were exceptional and I would not expect the situation to arise again.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Dual Registration

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what research the Electoral Commission has undertaken into the number of electors who have dual registration in each constituency in the UK; and what measures are in place to prevent double voting.

Peter Viggers: The Commission informs me that it has undertaken no specific research into the number of electors in each constituency in the United Kingdom who are also on the electoral roll in another constituency. However, in the course of its policy review of the electoral registration process in the United Kingdom, the Commission received a number of submissions raising the issue of dual registration. These submissions informed the Commission's recommendations for reform of the registration process, first published in 2003.
	Although it is possible to be registered at more than one address, it is an offence for an elector to vote more than once in any particular election, as set out in Section 61 of the Representation of the People Act 1983. Although it may be possible to detect instances of unlawful double voting by comparison of marked registers after the election, in the absence of a national electronic register there are no mechanisms in place specifically designed to prevent such conduct, or unlawful registration in more than one place.

Electoral Commission

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what the budget for the Electoral Commission was in each of the past five years; and how many staff were employed in each year.

Peter Viggers: The estimates provision made in respect of each of the years concerned, and the average full-time equivalent staff employed by the Commission, is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Estimates provision (£ million) Staff (average full-time equivalent) 
		
		
			 2001–02 7.516 39 
			 2002–03 20.284 102 
			 2003–04 25.708 132 
			 2004–05 38.356 150 
			 2005–06 24.101 (20)155 
		
	
	(20) Estimated.

Electoral Commission

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission if he will list the main areas of activity of the Electoral Commission in each of the last five years.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission has advised me that its main areas of activity in each of the last five years have been: the regulation of political party finances; promoting public awareness of our electoral systems; reporting on the conduct of elections; reviewing electoral law and procedures; and advising Government and Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers.
	The Commission has also completed a Periodic Electoral Review of local government boundaries in England, having taken over the functions of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England in April 2002. It also discharged a range of statutory responsibilities in relation to the regional referendum held in the north-east in November 2004.

Electoral Commission

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how much the Commission spent on (a) salaries, (b) publications, (c) advertising and (d) other major items in each of the past five years.

Peter Viggers: Details of expenditure on salaries, publications, and advertising in each of the years concerned, supplied by the Electoral Commission, is set out in the following table.
	
		£ million
		
			  Salaries Publications Advertising 
		
		
			 2001–02 1.800 0.443 0.228 
			 2002–03 2.060 0.542 4.721 
			 2003–04 3.270 0.503 4.238 
			 2004–05 4.697 0.412 4.937 
			 2005–06 4.750 0.452 5.328 
		
	
	(21) Estimated
	The Electoral Commission has advised me that other major items of expenditure in this period have included: Training for the European Parliamentary elections (2003–04 to 2004–05—£2.52 million); and the north-east regional referendum (2004–05 £4.00 million).
	Further detailed information in respect of the years 2001–02 to 2003–04 is available in the Commission's Annual Reports and Accounts. These are available in the Library of the House. The Commission's Report and Accounts for 2004–05 have been laid before the House and will be published shortly.

Electoral Commission

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what the salaries of the board members of the Commission were in each of the past five years.

Peter Viggers: Information on the emoluments of board members of the Electoral Commission before 2004–05 is given in the Commission's Reports and Accounts for the years in question, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The Commission's Report and Accounts for 2004–05 have been laid before the House and will be published shortly.

Electoral Commission

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what the expenditure of the Commission was over the past five years.

Peter Viggers: The outturn expenditure of the Electoral Commission in each of the years concerned is set out in the following table.
	
		Outturn expenditure
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2001–02 6.066 
			 2002–03 18.160 
			 2003–04 18.635 
			 2004–05 24.824 
			 2005–06 (22)23.974 
		
	
	(22) Estimated

Local Government Databases

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what research the Commission has undertaken on recent changes in the law that allow local authority electoral registration officers to consult local government databases.

Peter Viggers: The Commission informs me that it has undertaken no specific research into the impact of the changes introduced by the Representation of the People Regulations 2001 that allow local authority electoral registration officers to consult local government databases.

Polling Cards/Postal Ballots

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what advice the Commission gives to local authorities on the timing of the issuing of (a) polling cards and (b) postal ballots.

Peter Viggers: The Commission informs me that its guidance urges returning officers to issue poll cards as soon as practicable. This is in line with the law relating to parliamentary elections, which requires returning officers to send poll cards to electors and their proxies as soon as practicable after the election has been called.
	The Commission's guidance advises that it is good practice to issue postal votes to all who have applied as soon as practicable after the relevant deadline to allow a maximum amount of time for ballot papers to be dispatched and for the voter to return them. For continuing postal voters, returning officers cannot, by law, despatch postal ballot packs until after the deadline for changes to existing absent vote arrangements, which is currently 11 days before polling day. For people who apply after this time, postal votes are required to be issued as soon as practicable after the application has been granted.

Registration

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission when the Commission last reviewed the guidelines for procedures used by Electoral Registration Officers for individuals who have failed to register; and what system is in place to monitor compliance to these guidelines.

Peter Viggers: The Commission informs me that it last reviewed its guidance on the conduct of the electoral registration canvass in the summer of 2005. This guidance is advisory, and as such the Commission has no system in place to monitor compliance with it.

Registration

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what representations the Commission has received on Electoral Registration Officers using central government databases to improve the electoral registers.

Peter Viggers: The Commission has informed me that it has received a number of representations on a range of electoral registration issues.
	In 2002, the Commission specifically sought views on whether better data-sharing between local and central government databases would help Electoral Registration Officers improve the accuracy of electoral registers. The Commission received 32 representations addressing this issue, from Electoral Registration Officers, political parties and other organisations. While a significant majority supported improved data sharing, some of the specific suggestions made could not be implemented under existing electoral and data protection law.

Research Funding

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what resource allocation the Electoral Commission has made for research into (a) under-registration and (b) postal vote fraud in each of the last five years.

Peter Viggers: The Commission informs me that expenditure on dedicated research on registration issues in Great Britain and Northern Ireland in each of the last five years is as set out in the following table:
	
		£
		
			  Great Britain Northern Ireland 
		
		
			 2001–02(23) — — 
			 2002–03(23) — 39,405 
			 2003–04(23) — 40,185 
			 2004–05(23) 106,750 39,314 
			 2005–06(24) — 29,500 
		
	
	(23) Actual
	(24) Provision
	In addition the Commission has regularly conducted research into public opinion about electoral issues generally, including registration and the security of postal voting. The following table sets out the overall expenditure on such public opinion research projects in each of the last five years that have addressed one or both of these subjects:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2001–02(25) 60,000 
			 2002–03(25) 89,065 
			 2003–04(25) 346,332 
			 2004–05(25) 343,706 
			 2005–06(26) 218,305 
		
	
	(25) Actual
	(26) Provision
	In addition to research projects, the Commission invests significant resources in identifying and analysing the scale and frequency of postal voting fraud, through monitoring electoral petitions and fraud prosecutions and liaison with the police, prosecuting authorities, and Electoral Registration and Returning Officers.

Under-registration/Postal Fraud

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what assessment the Commission has made of the likely impact under-registration may have on the size of the electorates in new constituencies proposed by the Boundaries Commission.

Peter Viggers: The Commission advises me that it has made no such assessment. Its recently published report Understanding electoral registration" includes a detailed analysis of the extent and reasons for non-registration in Great Britain.

Under-registration/Postal Fraud

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what representations the Electoral Commission has received on (a) under-registration and (b) postal fraud in each of the last five years.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission has advised me that it has received a number of representations about registration rates and postal voting fraud. In the last five years, it has conducted comprehensive policy reviews of the registration process and the law on postal voting. In both cases, it sought and received the views of a wide range of organisations and individuals on the existing arrangements and possible changes to them.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Licensing Act

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on levels of crime and disorder.

James Purnell: The Licensing Act 2003 does not come into effect until 24 November, so the Government cannot yet assess its impact. However, the introduction of effective measures to tackle crime and disorder by licence holders is one of the main features of the new licensing framework. These measures include closed circuit television, door security, and Pubwatch schemes.

Licensing Act

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003 distinguish between sports clubs and commercial pubs; and if she will make a statement.

James Purnell: The Licensing Act 2003 distinguishes between amateur sports clubs which qualify as members' clubs, and commercial premises including public houses. The former require only Club Premises Certificates for the supply of alcohol. The latter also require personal licences and designated premises supervisors.

Amusement Arcades

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on small stakes and low value prizes in amusement arcades.

David Lammy: The maximum stakes and prizes that will apply to gaming machines in arcades once the Gambling Act 2005 is implemented were published alongside the draft Bill.

Olympic Games

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the role of provincial sports training facilities for the 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: We expect a number of visiting teams to want to undertake pre-Games training in the UK.
	The London Organising Committee, in partnership with the British Olympic Association, will produce a pre-Games Training Camp guide that will comprehensively detail the facilities and services that the UK can offer visiting teams.
	This guide will be the primary means of informing National Olympic Committees when choosing where to stage their pre-Games preparation camps for 2012. I am sure that the first class sporting facilities at the National Sports Centre at Lilleshall will prove attractive to visiting teams.

Olympic Games

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial commitments she has entered into in respect of cost overruns for the London Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: We will make every effort to avoid cost overruns. But, just in case this is not possible our Memorandum of Understanding with the Mayor of London provides for an agreement to share the costs between him and the National Lottery.

Slave Trade (Abolition Anniversary)

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on plans to celebrate in 2007 the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade.

David Lammy: The 200th anniversary of Parliament's abolition of the slave trade is an important opportunity to mark a crucial turning point in this country's history. Many cities, museums, churches and others are already planning to mark the anniversary, with exhibitions, the opening of new galleries, and community-led events. I am working closely with colleagues to ensure that the Government play their part in 2007.

BBC

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will discuss the BBC's parliamentary and political coverage with the Chairman and Director General as part of the Charter renewal process.

Tessa Jowell: The Green Paper, A Strong BBC, independent of Government", proposes that 'sustaining citizenship' should be one of the BBC's core public purposes in the next Charter period. It makes clear that high quality news and current affairs, and coverage of Parliament, are central to this purpose.

BBC

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what account her Department is taking in the charter renewal process of the decision to open up 25 per cent. of BBC production to independent companies.

Tessa Jowell: We will assess the BBC's proposals against the goal of delivering the best possible programmes for licence fee payers, and respond in the White Paper. We believe that goal will be met by balancing competition from independent producers with a thriving base of in-house production.

Music Teaching

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to increase the playing of musical instruments by young people.

David Lammy: Responsibility for music within schools falls with the Department for Education and Skills.
	My Department continues to work very closely with Education and Skills colleagues on the Music Manifesto, which celebrated its first anniversary in July. This sets out a series of shared aims for music education over the next three to five years.
	Last week I jointly announced with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools a £2 million investment in three new Music Manifesto pathfinder centres at The Sage Gateshead, the Roundhouse in London and the Halle" in Manchester. Over the next two and a half years these pathfinders will benefit over 100,000 young people and more than 500 music teachers and leaders.

Commonwealth Institute Building

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received concerning the condition of the Commonwealth Institute building; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State received a number of representations on the condition of the Commonwealth Institute building. These were fully considered as part of the decision not to de-list the building.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the Minister for Creative Industries and Tourism will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood of 19 September on behalf of a constituent, Nigel Clarke.

James Purnell: I wrote to my right hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Ladywood on the 16 November 2005.

Damages

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the 10 largest amounts of damages paid out by her Department in the last year for which figures are available, indicating in each case the nature of the claim.

David Lammy: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Assets

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the 10 most valuable (a) movable and (b) immovable assets owned by her Department.

David Lammy: The 10 most valuable (a) movable and (b) immovable assets owned by the Department are as follows:
	(a) movable assets
	The 10 most valuable movable assets owned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are works of art within the Government Art Collection.
	It is not possible to give an accurate estimate of the value of the Government Art Collection, which has no current market valuation. The current monetary value of a work of art can be accurately assessed only at the time of purchase or sale or by professional valuation. In the former case, the collection is not actively traded; in the latter, it would not be justified expenditure of public funds to have the whole collection valued professionally.
	(b) immovable assets
	The Department owns the freehold of a site to the north of the British Library at St. Pancras. This was professionally re-valued at 31 March 2005 at £18,980,000. This valuation reflects the current block on use of the site while it is required for construction of the channel tunnel rail link terminus at St. Pancras.
	The nine next most valuable immovable assets are all managed by the Department's agency, The Royal Parks, and are as follows.
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 Serpentine Gallery (Kensington Gardens) 3,878,000 
			 Inn the Park (St James's Park) 2,873,395 
			 The Old Police House (Hyde Park) 1,619,000 
			 Nursery Site (Hyde Park) 1,348,000 
			 The Lido (Hyde Park) 1,177,000 
			 Storey's Gate Lodge (St James's Park) 916,000 
			 Nursery (Regent's Park) 866,000 
			 Pembroke Lodge (Richmond Park) 770,000 
			 Storeyard Complex (Hyde Park) 696,000 
		
	
	The freehold of Blythe House at Olympia, London W14 is owned by the Department, and it was last valued for DCMS as at 31 March 2004 at a depreciated replacement cost of £21,800,000.
	Blythe House is not carried on the Department's balance sheet as the risks and rewards of ownership are considered to lie with the three museums occupying the building for storage, each of which disclose the value of their share in their balance sheet, and has therefore been excluded from this list.
	The National Asset Register also includes the freeholds of properties occupied by DCMS sponsored NDPBs. These have been excluded from this table as the freeholds are vested in the Boards of Trustees of the national museums and galleries and the British Library, each of which is an exempt charity.

Departmental Estates

John Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who is responsible for managing the estates of her Department; what relevant specialist qualifications he or she holds; and what the details are of his or her career to date.

David Lammy: John Belza is the Department's Head of Procurement and Property Services. He has an MSc in Procurement, City and Guilds in Mechanical Engineering and Building Maintenance; is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, a Member of the Institute of Leadership and Management, and is a PRINCE 2 practitioner. Since leaving the Life Guards in 1993, John has worked in the private, voluntary and public sectors in facilities management, purchasing and procurement roles, before joining DCMS in 2005.

Departmental Staff

John Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who the Head of the Finance and Planning Division is in her Department; what specialist finance qualifications he or she holds; and what the details are of his or her career to date.

David Lammy: The current Head of Finance and Planning Division in DCMS does not hold a specialist finance qualification but has held a number of relevant posts in Finance Divisions in other Government Departments. He reports to the Department's Chief Operating Officer and Finance Director who is responsible for finance issues at board level and does hold a specialist qualification.
	The current holders of these posts are set out in the Civil Service Yearbook.

Departmental Staff

John Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who the Head of Personnel and Central Services is in her Department; what relevant specialist qualifications he or she holds; and what the details are of his or her career to date.

David Lammy: Shaun Cove is the Department's Head of Human and Business Resources. He has recently completed studying for an MA in Human Resource Strategy and Change and has eight years' experience in human resources practice, both in DCMS and what is now the Office for National Statistics, where he worked from 1985 to 1994. Since joining DCMS and prior to his roles in human resources, Shaun worked in museums and galleries sponsorship, international tourism policy, as secretary to the DCMS Board and as a Bill team leader.

Disability Discrimination Act

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the progress of leisure and tourism facilities towards complying with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

James Purnell: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the member for West Lancashire (Rosie Cooper) on 13 June 2005, Official Report, column 23, by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport.

English Heritage

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many English Heritage sites she has visited in the last 12 months.

Tessa Jowell: I have been a member of both English Heritage and The National Trust for many years. Both organisations provide excellent value for money and make an important contribution to the nation's tourism and leisure industries. This year I have been to a number of heritage and cultural sites and events, both privately and in my official capacity as Secretary of State.

Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the top 10 tourist attractions in Essex in terms of numbers visiting or attending in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

James Purnell: My Department does not keep a central record of the tourist attractions throughout the United Kingdom. VisitBritain who promote tourism in England and overseas carry out an annual survey of visitor attractions, and from this the visitor numbers to the top 10 tourist attractions in Essex in each of the last three years are as follows:
	
		
			 Tourist attraction 2004 2003 2002 
		
		
			 Weald Country Park (27)500,000 (27)500,000 (27)500,000 
			 Colchester Zoo 469,928 541,628  
			 Hadleigh Castle Country Park (27)200,000 (27)200,000  
			 Marsh Farm Country Park 147,346 146,992 132,161 
			 High Woods Country Park (27)140,000 (27)130,000 (27)125,000 
			 Audley End House 108,002 116,839 105,215 
			 Dedham Art and Craft Centre 80,000 75,000 75,000 
			 Chelmsford Museum 44,721 38,969 43,837 
			 Audley End Miniature Railway 42,175 42,509 41,786 
			 Great Notley Country Park and  Discovery Centre (27)42,000 (27)45,000 (27)40,000 
		
	
	(27) Estimated

Gambling Commission

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the funding of the Gambling Commission's new headquarters in Birmingham.

Richard Caborn: In line with the recommendations of the Lyons Review that more public bodies should be located outside London, the Gambling Commission has acquired new headquarters in Birmingham. Funding for this will come from the grant provided by my Department.
	The Commission has secured a competitive rent for their new property with a significant rent-free period at a rate which compares very favourably with the rent for their current premises in London. It followed Office of Government Commerce recommended procedures in selecting the property, including completion of internal gateway reviews. The acquisition of new headquarters in Birmingham is part of the transition project to establish by September 2007 a fully operational Gambling Commission under the new regulatory system introduced by the Gambling Act 2005. The move will be completed by summer 2006.

Licensing Applications

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance the Government have provided to local authorities on informing local residents of a premises licence application made under the Licensing Act 2003.

James Purnell: The burden of advertising applications for premises licences falls on the applicants, rather than on local authorities. Articles 25 and 26 of the Licensing Act 2003 (Premises licences and club premises certificates) Regulations 2005 include detailed provisions covering the form and nature of advertisements required of applicants.
	Should local authorities wish, additionally, to undertake any further advertisement of applications, it is a matter for them.

London Olympics

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has made to the Secretary of State for Transport on ensuring that train services to the South West are ready to meet the transport requirements of the 2012 Olympics.

Richard Caborn: There has been regular communication between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and the Department for Transport regarding the Olympic Transport Proposals that were set out in the Candidature File submitted to the International Olympic Committee in November 2004. The Government is confident that these proposals will be sufficient to meet the transport needs of the 2012 Games.

Public Libraries

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of loaned items were accounted for by the borrowing of (a) books, (b) videos, (c) DVDs and (d) CDs from libraries in (i) Brent and (ii) each borough in London in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: This information is not held centrally. However, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 29 June 2005 on book loans by London libraries and on 3 November about the loan of audio-visual items by Brent libraries and London libraries. The following table shows the number of book and total loans by Brent from 199798 and 200304 and total loans by London libraries as a whole for the same period. These figures are drawn from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy's annual Public Library Statistics (Actuals) which also contain figures for individual library authorities. Copies are kept in the House of Commons Library.
	
		
			  Brent Greater London 
			  Book loans All loans All loans 
		
		
			 199798 1,419,752 (28)1,419,752 61,908,130 
			 199899 1,216,032 (28)1,216,032 59,372,374 
			 19992000 1,094,504 1,254,051 54,700,891 
			 200001 1,055,862 1,247,619 52,949,785 
			 200102 1,098,832 1,308,111 50,836,822 
			 200203 1,139,873 1,381,696 49,390,102 
			 200304 1,148,616 1,374,667 46,867,270 
		
	
	(28) No Total Audio-visual, electronic and other issues figure shown by Brent for this year.

Public Libraries

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what total stock of (a) DVDs, (b) videos and (c) CDs was owned by libraries in (i) Brent and (ii) each borough in London in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: This information is not held centrally. However, the following table shows the numbers of sound recordings (encompassing talking books and music) and videos/DVDs held by (i) Brent and (ii) all inner and outer London libraries (including Brent) from 199798 to 200304. These figures are drawn from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy's (CIPFA's) annual Public Library Statistics (Actuals) which also contain figures for London's 33 individual library authorities. Copies are kept in the House of Commons Library.
	
		
			  Brent Greater London 
			  Sound Recordings Video/DVD Sound Recordings Video/DVD 
		
		
			 199798 (29)26,042 9,608 (30)874,174 260,857 
			 199899 41,779 15,669 1,141,705 296,693 
			 19992000 27,325 16,687 1,127,467 332,299 
			 200001 21,161 13,955 1,122,182 363,675 
			 200102 19,228 14,805 1,088,827 368,480 
			 200203 18,455 20,028 1,422,612 437,779 
			 200304 15,906 20,104 1,048,091 442,305 
		
	
	(29) Music only. Brent entered their audiobook holdings within their overall bookstock figure for this year.
	(30) Music only for parity.
	Note:
	The above table includes loan items only. It does not take account of any materials held in this media for reference purposes. These are not easily identifiable within the CIPFA statistics.

Youth Shelters

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many council-funded youth shelters have opened in (a) England, (b) the Tees Valley and (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: Information is not held centrally on the number of council-funded youth shelters.

Youth Shelters

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she plans to fund the expansion of youth shelters in England.

David Lammy: I have no plans to fund the expansion of youth shelters in England. However, my Department is working closely with the Department for Education and Skills on the implementation of Youth Matters, the youth Green Paper which was published in July this year.
	A key strand in Youth Matters is the provision of more things to do and places to go for young people in their local area and more choice and influence over what is available.
	Youth Matters proposes the establishment of an Opportunity Fund in each local authority to be spent at young people's discretion on projects they want to do to improve things to do and places to go in their area. This could include the provision of youth shelters.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Youth Matters

Shahid Malik: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she plans to make of the implications of Youth Matters for black and minority ethnic young people and organisations.

Maria Eagle: The proposals in Youth Matters will improve the lives of all young people, including those from black and minority ethnic groups. In preparing the Government's response to the consultation we are considering carefully the views from black and minority ethnic organisations and young people.

0870 Numbers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the revenue raised from her Department's 0870 prefix contact telephone number is spent.

Maria Eagle: The Department for Education and Skills does not participate in revenue share schemes associated with 0870 numbers and therefore derives no revenue from the use of these numbers.

Adult Education

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of colleges are charging fees to adults for level two education.

Bill Rammell: On the 21 October, I made an announcement, setting out the Government's strategic direction for the learning and skills sector for the coming period. My main purpose for doing so was to ensure the 2006/07 funding allocations process began with a clear and concise message on the principles that will underpin funding over the next two years. Our priorities include helping disadvantaged adults gain basic and Level 2 skills for employability and progression to Level 3. From 2005/06 all Further Education colleges are offering free tuition to learners undertaking a first full level 2 qualification.
	Colleges will continue to collect fees from other adult learners unless they are exempt from tuition fees because they are receiving an income based benefit; the pension guarantee credit; or higher rates of the working tax credit. Adults studying literacy and numeracy, Skills for Life programmes, are exempt from all fees.

Adult Guidance Provision

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what adult guidance provision there is in each local authority area.

Phil Hope: The Department's policy on information, advice and guidance services on learning and work for adults is delivered by the Learning and Skills Council primarily through an integrated information and advice service. This service comprises the national learndirect telephone and on-line advice service, and a network of 47 local nextstep information and advice providers, and is available to adults in each local authority area. In addition, adults participating in any LSC funded learning can access information and advice services through their learning provider.

Adult Guidance Provision

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her Department's policy is on adult guidance provision.

Phil Hope: The Department's policy is that every adult in England should have access to a free, integrated information and advice service on learning and work delivered through the national learndirect telephone and on-line advice service and local nextstep information and advice services. Priority is given within this service to those adults who do not have a qualification at Level 2, since they are more likely to lack the skills foundation for employability and lifelong learning, and are less likely to get a secure, well paid job. In addition, adults participating in any LSC funded learning can also access information and advice services through their learning provider.
	The White Paper Skills: getting on in business, getting on at work sets out a long-term ambition: that everyone should be able to get help if and when they want it to take stock of where they are in their lives and their careers; to review where they would like to get to; and assess what steps they can take to get there. We are jointly conducting a review with the Department for Work and Pensions, the DTI, the LSC, Ufi learndirect, Jobcentre Plus, and the Sector Skills Development Agency to help determine how best to achieve this goal, which will be concluded by the end of 2006. We are extending the learndirect telephone service on a trial basis from January 2006 to provide more intensive personal guidance to inform the review. Adults throughout England seeking to progress in their careers; wanting to gain the skills for jobs typically requiring a Level 3 qualification; and returning to work from career breaks, will benefit from the new service.

Autism

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government is taking to ensure all staff working in (a) schools and (b) other children's services receive sufficient and suitable training to equip them to work with children with autism.

Jacqui Smith: I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 3 November 2005, Official Report, column 1309W, in response to her earlier question on minimum training standards for people who work with autistic children.
	Once qualified, all teachers are expected to identify their development needs through performance management arrangements, and to address identified needs by undertaking appropriate professional development. This includes strengthening knowledge of special educational needs. All schools receive a School Development Grant which they are able to use to support improvements in any aspect of teaching and learning. Local authorities may retain a proportion of this grant, under certain conditions, to provide specific training and development of SEN.
	The Department's published SEN Strategy, Removing Barriers to Achievement recognised the importance of training and committed us to work closely with the Training and Development Agency for Schools to ensure that initial teacher training and programmes of continuing professional development provide a good grounding in core skills and knowledge of SEN, which of course covers a wide range of conditions, including autism.
	We have commissioned the IDA to carry forward a range of initiatives designed to improve and strengthen the SEN skills and confidence of trainees, newly qualified and established teachers. These initiatives will be implemented over the period 20052008 at a cost of approximately 1.1 million. The TDA will be reviewing its Standards, as part of its new responsibilities for the school work force, and the Department will feed in to that process.
	On the wider children's services front, we have developed the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge to support and focus professional development in the children's work force, including those working for private and voluntary sector. It also covers those working with disadvantaged children as well as those with a disability. The Common Core sets out the areas of expertise that everyone working with children, young people and families (including those who work as volunteers) should be able to demonstrate. It sets out the skills and knowledge that, if accredited, could form the basis of a minimum competence for working with children, young people and their families.
	There is funding available under the National Training Strategy Grant and Human Resources Development Strategy through local authorities and other organisations, for a number of initiatives to support social work, education and training, provide financial support to students and strengthen the social work and social care work force (with children and adults). It would be appropriate for some of this to be used for training for those in children's services working with children with autism, but the Government does not specify a proportion that has to be used in this way.

Basic Skills Agency

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the performance of the Basic Skills Agency; what funding it has received since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The Basic Skills Agency (BSA) has received a total of 52 million in core grant funding since the 199697 financial year. The agency has also received additional funding for fixed term initiatives and contracts.
	The BSA as a 'near to Government body', was subject to a quinquennial review in 2001. The review reported positively that BSA was making
	a valuable contribution across the breadth of its activities
	and that there was
	a very strong case for retention of the Agency as an independent body at arms length to the Department, with a remit which continues to cover basic skills both for pupils and adults.
	The Department for Education and Skills regularly reviews the Agency's performance and is responsible for approving the BSA's strategic plan and annual delivery plan. DfES continues to work closely with the BSA on the delivery of its current three-year strategic plan and annual delivery plan, which is supported by DfES core funding. BSA's performance is reviewed each month against their delivery plan and their core grant is paid on the basis of this assessment.

Children's Organisations

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which children's organisations the Minister for Children has met since May.

Beverley Hughes: In my ministerial capacity, I have met a wide range of organisations which represent the interests of children, young peoples and families, and have also visited a large number of local projects and spoken at a wide range of events. My colleague, Maria Eagle, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Children, Young People and Families, has also met a wide range of organisations. National level organisations that have been represented at meetings with me, since May, include:
	4Children
	AFRUCA (Africans Unite Against Child Abuse)
	Asian Families Counselling Service
	Barnardo's
	CAFCASS
	Children and Youth Board
	Children's Commissioner
	Children's Right's Alliance for England
	Children's Workforce Development Council
	The Children's Society
	Churches Child Protection Advisory Service
	Continyou
	Coram Family
	Council for Disabled Children
	Daycare Trust
	Early Childhood Forum
	Family Links
	Father's Direct
	Forum for Rural Children and Young People
	National Childbirth Trust
	National Childminding Association
	National Children's Bureau
	National Children's Homes
	National Council for Voluntary Youth Services
	National Council of Voluntary Childcare Organisations
	National Day Nurseries Association
	National Family and Parenting Institute
	National Youth Agency
	National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
	One Plus One
	Parentline Plus
	Pre-School Learning Alliance
	Refugee Council
	REU
	Special Education Consortium
	Teenage Pregnancy Strategy Independent Advisory Group

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Department takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses while working for her Department and its agencies.

Bill Rammell: My Department has effective financial controls in place, and follows HM Treasury Government Accounting 2000 guidelines on the responsibilities of Accounting Officers.
	My Department also uses 'model' contracts for Consultancy which contain specific clauses and guidance to ensure that Departmental limits are applied to consultancy expenses claims. In addition to this the Departments policy is to ensure that invoices are thoroughly checked for propriety and value for money.

Departmental Engagements

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the Minister for Children's departmental engagements have been since 1 September.

Beverley Hughes: My external departmental engagements from 1 September to 11 November are listed as follows:
	
		
			  Engagement 
		
		
			 1 September 2005 Metropolitan Police Child Abuse Command, London 
			 2 September 2005 Parent Partnership, Beechwood Family Support, Watford 
			 7 September 2005 Michael SIEFF Foundation Conference Every Young Person Matters 
			 8 September 2005 Milton Keynes, Round Table discussion with Children's services partners Galley Hill Education Centre, Milton Keynes 
			 9 September 2005 Health Inequalities Conference, Manchester Benchill Play centre, Manchester 
			 21 September 2005 Early Childhood Forum, London Children's Workforce Network, London 
			 23 September 2005 Chester Youth Forum, Chester 
			 27 September 2005 RU-OK? (Young people' substance abuse project), Brighton 
			 30 September 2005 Brook Advisory Centre, Manchester 
			 3 October 2005 Harpurhey Centre, North Manchester Sixth Form College, Manchester Grange Community Resource Centre, Manchester URBISMuseum of Urban life, Manchester Manchester Town Hall, Manchester 
			 4 0ctober 2005 Saltash college, Cornwall 
			  Estover Community College Devon Children's TrustRoundtable discussion with Children's Services partners, Exeter 
			 5 October 2005 Bideford Sure Start Children's Centre, Cornwall Flashpoint Life Skills Centre, Cornwall Bodmin SHARE information and advice service, Cornwall 
			 7 October 2005 Bridehill Sure Start Children's Centre, Stockport Stepping Hill Hospital Birth Centre, Stockport 
			 10 October 2005 Roundtable discussion with Children's Services partners, Hull 
			 11 October 2005 Coram Family, London Local Government Association Youth Matters conference Reception for childminders and pre-school teachers in Enfield, House of Commons 
			 12 October 2005 Teenage Magazine Arbitration Panel, Holborn 
			 13 October 2005 ACPO Youth Justice Conference, Belfast 
			 19 October 2005 Paediatrics and Child Health Conference, London IPPR Active Fatherhood project launch, London 
			 20 October 2005 DfES Social Enterprise Seminar, London 
			 21 October 2005 LGA/ADSS Conference, Birmingham NFPI Parents Consultation event, Old Trafford 
			 25 October 2005 NPQICL Graduation Ceremony 
			 26 October 2005 BAAF Private Fostering Reception, House of Commons 
			 31 October 2005 Whitby High Schools, Ellesmere Port 
			 1 November 2005 Daycare Trust Annual Conference, London Ormiston Children and Families Trust Launch event, House of Commons Connexions Youth Green Paper Event, London 
			 8 November 2005 Gospel Oak Children's Centre, London Brake launch of Road Safety Week Campaign; London NSPCC Reception, London DfES Board of Children, Young People and Families Stakeholders, London 
			 9 November 2005 West London Centre of Vocational Excellence Centre 
			 10 November 2005 Continyou Extra Community Conference, Coventry

Educational Attainment

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the percentage of working-age adults with no qualifications is in each constituency; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.

Family Law Cases (Perjury)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take steps to ensure that evidence given in family law cases is subject to the law on perjury.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	The current law on perjury already applies to evidence given in family proceedings.

Further Education

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans her Department has to review the levels of funding allocated to further education in (a) Tamworth and (b) England.

Bill Rammell: Our 14 to 19 and Skills White Papers clearly articulate our priorities for post-14 education and training. Higher participation among young people must have the highest priority, alongside helping disadvantaged adults gain basic and Level 2 skills for employability and progression to Level 3. Starting from these strategic objectives we have reviewed the SR2004 settlement announced in April 2004 and we have agreed a funding strategy with the LSC for the next two years that is driven by policy priorities and the successes of the sector.
	On 21 October, I made an announcement, setting out the Government's strategic direction for the learning and skills sector for the coming period. My main purpose for doing so was to ensure the 2006/07 funding allocations process began with a clear and concise message on the principles that will underpin funding over the next two years.
	In addition, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) published 'Priorities for Success'a document that sets out the funding strategy for the next two years in more detail. This document is available on the LSC's website.
	Although more funding will be going into the sector, we will focus funding even more strongly on key priorities of raising participation and achievement 14 to 19 and driving down the skills deficit in the adult work force. This will mean that less provision outside these priority areas can be supported at previous levels, and that there has to be a new balance of responsibilities between Government, employers and learners to achieve this.
	We confirmed our overall funding to the LSC for 200607 in our grant letter of 30 October 2005. The LSC will now allocate resources to regions, and local LSCs will make initial allocations to colleges in January 2006 for 2006/07.

Higher Education

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding the Government has provided for higher education in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: The total funding for higher education in England in the last five years is shown in the following table.
	
		 million
		
			  HE funding 
		
		
			 200102 6,048 
			 200203 6,354 
			 200304 6,807 
			 200405 7,201 
			 200506 7,631 
		
	
	Source:
	DfES Departmental Report 2005, Annex B.
	Funding for HE in the devolved Administrations and in Northern Ireland is provided separately.

IT Projects

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many IT projects which cost over 1 million and were introduced since 1997 are in use in her Department.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children Young People and Families on 3 November 2005, Official Report, column 1314W.

Learning and Skills Council

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to her answer of 18 October 2005, Official Report, column 961W, on the Learning and Skills Council, when she expects learner numbers for 2004/05 to be available.

Bill Rammell: Learner numbers for the full year 2004/05 funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in further education (FE), work based learning (WBL) and adult and community learning (ACL) will be published on 8 December 2005. The format will be a statistical first release (SFR) posted on both the Department's and LSC's websites:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/index.shtml
	http://www.lsc.gov.uk/National/Partners/Data/Statistics/LearnerStatistics/StatisticalFirstReleases/StatisticalFirst Release200405.htm

Learning and Skills Council

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2005, Official Report, column 961W, on the Learning and Skills Council and of 8 November 2005 to question 19348, what the funding per learner was for those (a) studying levels four and five and (b) in higher education.

Bill Rammell: HEFCE funds all prescribed courses of higher education as defined by the Education Prescribed Courses of Higher Education Regulations 1998 and can also fund non-prescribed higher education courses. Prescribed higher education courses represents the vast majority of publicly funded higher education courses. The LSC funds a proportion of non-prescribed vocational and professional courses at levels 4 and 5. In 2003/04 there were 72,000 learners studying non-prescribed higher education courses in FECs and a further 70,000 learners studying prescribed higher education in FECs. The LSC funding per learner for non-prescribed higher education in 2003/04 was 600. This is the level of annual funding from the LSC rather than the funding for the whole qualification and does not take into account contributions from individuals or employers.

Ministerial Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been spent in each year from 1 May 1997 on ministerial travel, broken down by (a) provision and running costs of vehicular transport, (b) first class travel by rail, (c) standard class travel by rail, (d) first class travel by air, (e) club or equivalent class travel by air and (f) economy class travel by air.

Maria Eagle: The information on the cost of ministerial travel could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	Ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
	In respect of ministerial cars provided by the Government Car and Despatch Service, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office has asked Roy Burke, chief executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) to write to the hon. Member with details of the costs of ministerial vehicles provided to Departments in 200405. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Library.
	For information for the financial years 200001 to 200304 I refer the hon. Member to the letters from the chief executive of the GCDA to the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow), dated 10 January 2005 and to the then hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs dated 13 September 2003. Copies of these letters are available in the Library.
	In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing 500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report information for the financial years 199596 to 200405. Information for 200506 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the current financial year.

Ministerial Travel

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list, for each year since 1995, the number of flights, including helicopter flights, taken by Ministers within her Department for UK and overseas visits; on how many occasions (a) charter flights were used and (b) first and club class tickets were obtained; and if she will indicate who accompanied the Ministers on each trip.

Maria Eagle: The information on the number of flights taken could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	Ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
	In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government has published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing 500 or more during each financial year. The list indicates when non-scheduled flights were used, and shows how many officials accompanied Ministers in those circumstances. The Government has also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report information reaching back to 199596. Information for 200506 will be published after the end of the financial year.

Nutritional Standards

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations her Department has received regarding extending the introduction of minimum nutritional standards in schools to children's homes and other accommodation for looked-after children; and what representations her Department has made to the Commission for Social Care Inspection in relation to nutritional standards regarding the planned review of national minimum standards for children's services.

Maria Eagle: My Department has received no representations regarding extending the introduction of minimum nutritional standards in schools to children's homes and other placement settings for looked after children, nor has it made any representations about nutritional standards to the Commission for Social Inspection (CSCI).
	The review of all national minimum standards for children's social services is being taken forward as a joint project involving the Department for Education Skills, Department of Health and CSCI. The review will consider what changes are needed to ensure that children's social services are regulated and inspected in line with the Government's 10 principles for inspection. Nutrition for looked after children who are living in regulated settings, including children's homes, will be considered as a part the review. A full public consultation will be held on all key proposals.

Offender Learning

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the re-apportionment of funds as laid out in Priorities for Success will affect offender learning.

Phil Hope: The Learning and Skills Council's document Priorities for Success and the Secretary of State's grant letter to the LSC for 200607 both stress the importance of learning and skills for offenders as the LSC moves to take full responsibility for planning and funding this group of learners from 31 July 2006. The resources transferring from the Department to the LSC to fund these new responsibilities will be ring-fenced for offender learning.
	Engagement of offender learning with mainstream provision is a key benefit of the LSC taking up its new responsibilities. Priorities for Success will mean mainstream providers are encouraged to focus on the needs of offender learners, especially those who continue courses of study that were started while in custody, with a consequent focusing of the public funds already in the system onto this priority group.

Offender Learning Schemes

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2005, Official Report, columns 12425W, on offender learning schemes, whether she expects the proposals to be published before Christmas.

Phil Hope: Yes, it is our intention to publish the proposals prior to Christmas.

Post-16 Funding

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Worcester of 27 October 2005, Official Report, column 478W, on post-16 funding, when she expects to make an announcement on the action she plans to take.

Bill Rammell: The Secretary of State announced on 16 November 2005 our plans for narrowing the funding gap between school sixth forms and Further Education (FE) colleges for like-for-like 1619 provision. We recognise that the funding gap will not be easy to close but we have taken some important steps in the funding package we announced on 21 October 2005. We have confirmed that for young people in FE in 2006/07 we will match the Schools' Minimum Funding Guarantee, which will be announced later this year. We estimate that this, together with other measures to correct technical anomalies, will reduce the gap from 13 per cent. to 8 per cent. by 2006/07. From 2008 we will look to bring consistency to the treatment of student retention and achievement across school sixth forms and colleges which we expect to narrow the gap by a further 3 per cent.. Beyond that we will work to establish a common funding approach across the two sectors as part of the Learning and Skills Council's Agenda for Change.

Private Sector Training Expenditure

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much (a) manufacturing, (b) construction, (c) food and drink and (d) financial services industries have spent on education and training in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: Analysis of the National Employers Skills Survey (2004) indicates that the estimated annual employer expenditure on training by sector was as follows: Manufacturing440 million; Construction240 million; Food and Drink80 million; and Financial services280 million.
	This is the expenditure that employers reported as their (out of pocket) expenses only, and does not take into account internal training costs nor the cost of employees being away from their workplaces. The National Employers Skills Survey (2005) will address these issues and provide a more accurate reflection of the actual employer expenditure on Education and Training.
	Comparable data for previous years is not available.

Protection of Children

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) referrals, (b) Provisional Listings and (c) Confirmed Listings have been made to the Protection of Children Act List since it was established; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Since the establishment of the Protection of Children Act List in October 2000 there have been:
	(a) 1,063 referrals to the List
	(b) 776 Provisional Listings
	(c) 461 Confirmed Listings
	Additionally there have been 791 Provisional Listings and 81 Confirmed Listings as a result of cross referral from the Protection of Vulnerable Adults Scheme.
	There are currently 1,276 people on the Protection of Children Act List. This is made up from the figures above and individuals whose names were transferred from the Consultancy Service Index, which was maintained by the Department of Health prior to the introduction of the Protection of Children Act.

Pupil Statistics

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children aged between five and 11 years are in full-time state education; and what estimate she has made of the figure for 2010.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, pupil referral units, city technology colleges and academies: number (headcount) of pupils aged 5 to 11(31) -- England
		
			  Pupils aged 5 to 11 
			   January 2005(32)(5508390033) Projections for January 2010(34)(5508390035) 
		
		
			 Full-time pupils 4,054,630 3,864,910 
			 Part-time pupils 380 330 
			 Total pupils 4,055,010 3,865,240 
		
	
	(31) Includes solely and dually registered pupils.
	(32) Age as at 31 August 2004.
	(33) Source: Annual Schools' Census.
	(34) Age as at 31 August 2009.
	(35) Source: DfES.
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Schools

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what capital funding her Department (a) provides and (b) facilitates for rural schools for premises expansion.

Jacqui Smith: The Department provides capital investment that can be used for premises expansion, including at rural schools, through the following programmes. We cannot break this down for just rural schools.
	
		 million
		
			  200506 200607 200708 
		
		
			 Schools Devolved Funding 805 1,000 1,050 
			 LEA Delegated funding   
			 Modernisation 602 602 602 
			 Basic Need 590 400 400 
			 School Access Initiative 84 84 84 
			 BSF Programme 2,118 2,177 (36)2,240 
			 Academies 207 365 467 
			 VA Schools 352 444 473 
			 LSC Single Budget 0 70 100 
			 Targeted Capital Fund 200 300 500 
		
	
	Note:
	(36) Includes 1.2/1.25/1.3 billion of PFI credits

Schools

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Westmorland and Lonsdale are expected to have a budget deficit in the 200506 financial year.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not yet available. The Department is due to collect the section 52 outturn data relating to the 200506 financial year from October 2006.

Sector Skills Council

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the establishment of a sector skills council for government, with particular reference to arrangements for (a) licensing and monitoring and (b) governance.

Phil Hope: The Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) will convene a Licence Assessment Panel (LAP) to take place on 18 November to assess the business case for the Government Skills Sector Skills Council (SSC). The outcome will be that the LAP will either recommend that the Secretary of State licenses the SSC, requires further work on the business case to be addressed, or rejects the proposal outright. The LAP will need to be satisfied that the proposed governance arrangements for the SSC comply with the standard required of all SSCs. The SSDA would be responsible for monitoring the performance of Government Skills, as for all SSCs, through a three year funding arrangement.

Self-governing Trusts

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps schools will be required to take to become self-governing trusts.

Jacqui Smith: Where the governing body of an existing school proposes to acquire a trust, it will consult and publish statutory proposals, setting out details of the proposed trust and the rationale for acquiring it. It will normally be for individual governing bodies to decide such proposals, but where the governing body has failed to take proper account of the views of a majority of parents or there are serious concerns about the impact of the acquisition of the trust on school standards, the local authority may refer the proposals to the Schools Adjudicator whose decision on them will be final.

Skills for Life Courses

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answers of 7 November 2005, Official Report, column 130W, on Skills for Life courses, if she will place in the Library the evidence referred to in her answer to question 24962.

Phil Hope: It has been drawn to my attention that while the answer I made to question 24962 was done so in good faith and was based upon information passed to me by officials, it was inaccurate in its interpretation of the evidence referred to. I very much regret this.
	The Department is currently undertaking a longitudinal study of literacy and numeracy learners in FE collegesa subset of Skills for Life learners. Reports on both the first and second stages of the survey will be published at the end of November 2005. The study found that 25 per cent. of this learner group had no qualifications and 86 per cent. had neither English nor Maths at Level 2 [a good GCSE A*-C]. In addition, 32 per cent. of this learner group were continuing with their full time education while 68 per cent. of learners had left. Among those who had left, 70 per cent. had left at age 16 or under. However, this does not rule out the possibility that these learners will have undertaken any post-16 education.
	There is further published evidence that also suggests a large proportion of participants on Skills for Life courses may have left school at or before the minimum age and may have no formal educational qualifications. I have placed in the Library of the House copies of two published DfES research reports which contain this evidence: Evaluation of Adult Basic Skills Pathfinder Extension Activities: An Overview by Michael White of the Policy Studies Institute; and Evaluation Outcomes for Learners in Pathfinder Areas, which the company Taylor Nelson Sofres were commissioned to conduct.

Teachers

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many secondary school teachers in West Lancashire have a (a) first class degree, (b) upper second degree, (c) lower second degree, (d) third class degree and (e) no degree.

Jacqui Smith: The information is not available in the requested form.
	The following table provides degree class information for full-time regular teachers in service in maintained secondary schools in Lancashire local authority in 2003, the latest information available. For comparison, the degree class of those teachers qualifying during 2002 is also provided.
	
		Percentage of full-time teachers in secondary school service in Lancashire local authority 2003 by class of degree held and year of qualification
		
			  Year of qualification 
			 Class of degree All years 2002 
		
		
			 1st Honours 4.4 7.3 
			 2nd Honours(37) 76.6 78.6 
			 3rd and unclassified honours 6.3 4.2 
			 Pass/Other(38) 11.4 9.4 
			 No degree recorded(39) 1.3 0.5 
			 Total 100 100 
		
	
	(37) Information for 2nd class honours degrees cannot be split into 2:1 or 2:2 categories.
	(38) Includes degrees obtained outside of the UK, teachers whose class of degree is not recorded and a small number of teachers with higher degrees where the class of their first degree is not known.
	(39) Includes teachers with a Certificate of Education. Some of these teachers may have gained degree level qualifications after entering teaching. No details of these qualifications are available.
	Source:
	Database of Teachers Records

Teachers

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total cost of conducting the numeracy, literacy and ICT skills tests prior to entering teaching (a) has been since their introduction and (b) was in 200405; and what the planned expenditure on the tests is in 200506.

Jacqui Smith: Over the whole period since introduction, up to and including the financial year 200304, the cost to the Teacher Training Agency of developing and then running the QTS skills tests was approximately 19.5 million. The Teacher Training Agency spent 4.1 million on all three Skills Tests in 200405, and the Training and Development Agency for Schools is planning to spend 3.75 million on them in 200506.

Teachers

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the impact of the initial teacher training skills tests on (a) standards of teaching and learning and (b) the efficacy of teachers in the discharge of their responsibilities since their introduction.

Jacqui Smith: The skills tests help to safeguard the quality of teaching and learning provided by schools by preventing people without the necessary basic skills in ICT, numeracy and literacywhich are needed as part of teachers day-to-day workfrom qualifying as teachers. The cost of providing these tests represents less than 0.5 per cent. of the total cost of initial teacher training.
	The future role and purpose of the skills tests is included in the current review by the Training and Development Agency of the requirements and standards for the award of qualified teacher status.

Train2Gain Programme

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether a cost benefit analysis has been undertaken of the role of training brokers in the Train2Gain programme.

Phil Hope: The White Paper Skills: Getting on in business, getting on at work published in March this year made it clear that the lessons learnt from the Employer Training Pilots (ETP) will influence the development of a quality National Employer Training Programme.
	The evidence from the pilots shows that the skills brokers are a tried and tested method of engaging employers in the development of their businesses and employees and is a key element of the success of the pilots. For example, the ETP Year 2 Evaluation carried out by the Institute for Employment Studies and published alongside the White Paper, shows that brokers have been very successful in helping to engage hard to reach employers. The evaluation showed these employers found the role of brokers in carrying out a training needs analysis a major attraction. 63 per cent. of hard to reach employers cited the help of brokers linking training to business needs as an attraction of ETP (as did 55 per cent. of easy to reach employers) and thus helping to maximise the added value of the programme. Employers saw the support given to help them access flexible and responsive provision that meets their needs as a major attraction of the pilots (76 per cent. of employers cited flexibly delivered training as an attraction of ETP and 19 per cent. said it was the most attractive feature). Helping to broker the right learning for the employers and learners helps to reduce dropout and ensure high success rates.

Train2Gain Programme

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what is the role of a training broker in the Train2Gain programme.

Phil Hope: The White Paper Skills: Getting on in business, getting on at work published in March this year clearly states that at the heart of the National Employer Training Programme is a brokerage service that will work on behalf of the employer. Skills brokers will provide independent and impartial advice to employers on the best type of training available and then source its delivery, to meet employer needs. Brokers will help employers find their way through the often complex world of skills training and help them develop relationships with training providers which will give them the best return on their investment. Brokers are there to make the employer's search for suitable training simpler and cost-effective. Once a training relationship to meet employer's needs is in place, it is for the employer and training provider to work directly together. So long as the employer is satisfied with the quality of training they are getting, the training provider can carry on supplying it.
	Brokers will particularly focus on reaching employers who may otherwise not invest in training, particularly small and medium-sized employers. The White Paper clearly states that raising the skill levels of this group is a fundamental aim.

Training

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information she collates on the provision of training by employers in the (a) private sector and (b) public sector, according to the age of employee receiving that training.

Phil Hope: The Labour Force Survey collects data on a quarterly basis from a representative sample of adults in the UK. It can identify employees in receipt of job-related education or training in the last three months and in the last four weeks. The age of the employees and whether they work in the public or private sector are also identified.

Vocational Education

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the effects of vocational education on industry in Coventry.

Phil Hope: My Department is committed to ensuring that everyone has the skills he or she needs to be employable and personally fulfilled. Our 1419 and Skills White Papers set out our strategies for ensuring that education and training meets the needs of employers.
	The Coventry and Warwickshire Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for the effective planning and funding of learning to raise the skills of the workforce and the potential workforce. It engages through the year with providers and employers to ensure that provision matches employer skills demands.
	In order to assess its effectiveness, the local LSC carries out an annual national employer skills survey. Employers are asked about their skills shortages and their satisfaction with local further education provision. Key findings include:
	Skills gaps (existing gaps in the workforce) as a percentage of employment have reduced by 8.2 per cent. between 2003 and 2005 and skills shortage vacancies (employers reporting recruitment difficulties) as a percentage of vacancies have reduced from 15.9 per cent. in 2003 to 11.7 per cent. in 2005.
	The number of individuals in the adult workforce with no qualifications has reduced by 8 per cent. between 2000 and 2004 and those with only Level 1 has reduced by 2 per cent.
	68 per cent. of 19-year-olds have reached Level 2 attainment, which is 1 per cent. above the national average.
	86 per cent. of employers were reporting satisfaction with the services provided by further education establishments.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Assets Recovery Agency

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the work of the Assets Recovery Agency since its establishment; and if he will take steps to provide the money recovered as a result of its work to Government Departments in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: The Assets Recovery Agency has had a significant impact on organised criminals in Northern Ireland. During 200405 the Agency in Northern Ireland disrupted eight criminal gangs, restrained 3.7 million, obtained recovery orders and tax assessments to the value of almost 1.5 million and realised receipts to the value of 780,000.
	The Agency is making good progress against the targets set in this year's business plan.
	A new assets recovery incentive scheme, to commence in 200607, will enable all law enforcement agencies to receive a 50 per cent. share of the receipts from confiscations. In addition, the Organised Crime Task Force plans to develop an assets recovery strategy in consultation with Task Force partner agencies, including the NI Departments.

Barron Inquiry

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has asked the security services to provide the Irish Government with the information they are seeking as a result of the Barron Inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.

Peter Hain: I am aware that these terrible tragedies continue to be painful for the victims and for their relatives. The British Government welcomed the establishment of the Barron Inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, and co-operated with it as fully as possible.
	As Justice Barron recognised, we have a responsibility to ensure the personal safety of individuals, and this was a factor in the way in which the material he requested on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings was passed to the inquiry. For that reason we did not provide Justice Barron with original documents. However, the information passed to his inquiry accurately reflects all the relevant information on the Dublin/Monaghan bombings uncovered by the Government's trawl of its files.
	This information has also recently been made available by the British Government to Patrick MacEntee, sole member of the new Commission of Investigation into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 1974. In addition to this, we have provided Mr. MacEntee with further information which he has requested in relation to his specific terms of reference.

Big Lottery Fund

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultations he has had on the composition of the Committee to advise on devolved expenditure under the Big Lottery Fund.

David Hanson: Legislation is not yet in place for the establishment of a committee to advise on devolved expenditure under the Big Lottery Fund, Northern Ireland will be consulted on arrangements for the establishment of the committee in due course.

Cancer Campaigning Group

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has received a copy of the Call for Action document published in 2004 by the Cancer Campaigning Group; and whether he has received an invitation to attend the group's reception on 30 November.

Shaun Woodward: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not received a copy of the 2004 Call for Action document or an invitation to attend the Cancer Campaigning Group's reception on 30 November

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what mechanisms are in place to assess the effectiveness of consultant-led projects in his Department; what sanctions are available to penalise consultants who run unsuccessful projects; how many projects conducted by consultants were assessed as unsuccessful in each year since 2000; and what sanctions were imposed.

Shaun Woodward: The information following refers to the Northern Ireland Office and its Agencies. It does not include information for its NDPBs or the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration.
	Any consultancy-led project, in the Department and its agencies, is carried out on the basis of a detailed work package description. The outputs of the consultancy project are compared against the quality defined in the work package. Should the outputs of the project not meet the quality criteria, then the consultancy is required to remedy the deficiencies.
	None of the projects conducted by consultants since 2000 have been adjudged unsuccessful.

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps the Department takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses while working for his Department and its agencies.

Shaun Woodward: The following information refers to the Northern Ireland Office and its agencies. It does not include information for its NDPBs or the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration.
	The Department's Central Procurement Unit facilitates the tender process and they state in tender documentation that mileage rates will be paid in accordance with civil service rates. They also ask firms to either give an estimated figure for travel expenditure or state that their daily rate includes all expenses. Before approving payment to firms, staff within the Department are responsible for ensuring that the amount of expenses claimed is not excessive.

Damages

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the 10 largest amounts of damages paid out by his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the nature of the claim was in each case.

Shaun Woodward: The following information refers to all damages paid out in the last year by the Northern Ireland Office (five in total). It does not include information for its agencies, NDPBs or the 11 departments of the Northern Ireland Administration.
	
		
			  Date damages were awarded Amount of damages paid out by NIO ()  Nature of claim 
		
		
			 July 2005 30,000 Member of staff fell on steps leading to Civil Service building. The full amount awarded (60,000) was equally apportioned between NIO and DFP. 
			 September 2004 26,000 Alleged discrimination/victimisation case. 
			 October 2004 15,000 Member of staff broke wrist at sports day. 
			 October 2005 6,000 Alleged breach of contract. 
			 January 2005 750 Back injury incurred in the workplace.

Dentistry

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many dentists were operating under the NHS in Northern Ireland in (a) 1994 and (b) 2004.

Shaun Woodward: Information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		Number of general practitioner, hospital based and community based NHS dentists as at 31 March 1994 and 31 March 2004
		
			  NHS dentists (headcount) 
			  1994 2004 
		
		
			 General practitioner 570 720 
			 Hospital based 78 71 
			 Community based 76 94 
			 Total 724 885 
		
	
	Source:
	General practitioner figuresCentral Services Agency Hospital and Community BasedHRMS

Departmental Sickness Absences

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many working days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department of Health and Personal Social Services in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The number of working days lost in the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety as a result of sickness absence in the last five years is detailed as follows.
	
		
			 Financial year Number of days lost 
		
		
			 200001 11,043 
			 200102 13,313 
			 200203 12,637 
			 200304 12,128 
			 200405 9,584

District Policing Partnership

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money each district policing partnership received in each year for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: All DPPs, except Dungannon and South Tyrone which was established in December 2004, were established on 1 March 2003. Under schedule 3 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 the board is required to fund 75 per cent. of the expenses reasonably incurred by the council in that year in connection with the establishment of, or the exercise of functions by, a DPP. The council funds the remaining 25 per cent. The Policing Board has advised me that the following figures represent 100 per cent. cost of each DPP for the complete financial years.
	
		
			  200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 Antrim 20,371 149,966 104,480 
			 Ards 13,801 165,114 144,297 
			 Armagh 27,381 169,333 124,888 
			 Ballymena 17,188 154,711 116,569 
			 Ballymoney 20,821 143,604 124,908 
			 Banbridge 30,727 157,631 130,332 
			 Belfast 56,387 468,453 278,591 
			 Carrickfergus 29,057 130,167 108,729 
			 Castlereagh 14,963 164,879 128,713 
			 Coleraine 15,784 155,052 129,626 
			 Cookstown 13,233 127,349 117,608 
			 Craigavon 12,918 153,310 128,876 
			 Derry 8,750 197,649 155,865 
			 Down 16,491 160,345 124,394 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 8,691 81,791 105,951 
			 Fermanagh 25,121 155,156 130,444 
			 Lame 17,838 127,043 126,055 
			 Limavady 26,512 148,906 126,801 
			 Lisburn 55,282 216,995 158,293 
			 Magherafelt 11,261 119,447 94,605 
			 Moyle 20,866 128,734 118,092 
			 Newry and Mourne 16,230 185,071 138,768 
			 Newtownabbey 18,313 184,407 147,441 
			 North Down 17,286 180,574 129,190 
			 Omagh 14,349 137,296 125,448 
			 Strabane 15,900 127,114 118,350 
			 Total 545,521 4,290,097 3,437,314

District Policing Partnership

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent on (a) advertising and (b) publishing in each year for which figures are available by each district policing partnership.

Shaun Woodward: The Policing Board has advised me that the following figures show the expenditure on advertising and publishing in each year since the establishment of each respective DPP.
	Costs for publishing are not collected separately, but expenditure details are available under the heading 'PR and publications' and these are shown in the table. Expenditure in this heading may include publicity materials, PR events and other expenditure relating to advertising and 'gaining the co-operation of the public in preventing crime'.
	
		
			  200203 200304 
			  Advertising Publishing/PR Advertising Publishing/PR 
		
		
			 Antrim 45  1,830 2,264 
			 Ards   2,720 1,424 
			 Armagh   3,017 1,370 
			 Ballymena   1,073 1,268 
			 Ballymoney  265 2,725 1,975 
			 Banbridge 3,800  3,065 4,000 
			 Belfast  73 20,362 28 
			 Carrickfergus   1,328 1,275 
			 Castlereagh 705  7,448 500 
			 Coleraine   5,032 3,241 
			 Cookstown   2,966 801 
			 Craigavon   3,431  
			 Derry 332  4,942 2,442 
			 Down   8,648  
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone25 
			 Fermanagh 1,815  1,921 20 
			 Larne   1,435 1,150 
			 Limavady   2,219 965 
			 Lisburn 2,800  9,573  
			 Magherafelt   2,037 70 
			 Moyle 1,185  2,807 1,745 
			 Newry and Mourne   5,337 3,663 
			 Newtownabbey 2,434  4,687 4,019 
			 North Down  57 6,244 5,616 
			 Omagh   2,723 2,790 
			 Strabane   3,130  
			  13,116 395 110,700 40,651 
		
	
	
		
			  200304 
			  Advertising Publishing/PR 
		
		
			 Antrim 3,033 280 
			 Ards 2,152 0 
			 Armagh 1,783 1,117 
			 Ballymena 1,788 275 
			 Ballymoney 3,786 1,780 
			 Banbridge 4,330 2,400 
			 Belfast 21,876 3,257 
			 Carrickfergus 1,705 500 
			 Castlereagh 6,215 1,849 
			 Coleraine 5,036 584 
			 Cookstown 2,728 2,908 
			 Craigavon 4,127 1,486 
			 Derry 3,362 1,141 
			 Down 8,873 356 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 797 1,055 
			 Fermanagh 1,171 145 
			 Larne 1,804  
			 Limavady 169 5,707 
			 Lisburn 1,147 9,045 
			 Magherafelt 2,499  
			 Moyle 2,432 939 
			 Newry and Mourne 5,297 100 
			 Newtownabbey 5,865 6,443 
			 North Down 3,807 4,176 
			 Omagh 1,972 1,763 
			 Strabane 1,785  
			  99,539 47,206

District Policing Partnership

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members each district policing partnership has, broken down by (a) independent members and (b) elected members.

Shaun Woodward: Under schedule 3 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 a DPP may consist of 15, 17, or 19 members. The Policing Board has advised me of the following number of members in each current DPP.
	
		
			 DPP Independent Political 
		
		
			 Antrim 9 10 
			 Ards 9 10 
			 Armagh 9 10 
			 Ballymena 9 10 
			 Bally money 9 10 
			 Banbridge 8 9 
			 Belfast 9 10 
			 Carrickfergus 7 8 
			 Castlereagh 8 9 
			 Coleraine 9 10 
			 Cookstown 7 8 
			 Craigavon 9 10 
			 Deny 9 10 
			 Down 8 9 
			 Dungannon 8 9 
			 Fermanagh 9 10 
			 Larne 7 8 
			 Limavady 7 8 
			 Lisburn 9 10 
			 Magherafelt 8 9 
			 Moyle 7 8 
			 Newry and Mourne 9 10 
			 Newtownabbey 9 10 
			 North Down 9 10 
			 Omagh 7 8 
			 Strabane 7 8 
			 Total 215 241

District Policing Partnership

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost was of policing each district policing partnership public meeting in each year since their formation.

Shaun Woodward: The PSNI has advised me that it does not hold the cost of policing each DPP on a central financial record. To gather this information would incur disproportionate cost.

District Policing Partnership

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost was of recruiting independent members in each district policing partnership in each year since their formation.

Shaun Woodward: Under schedule 3 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 the Board is required to fund 75 per cent. of the expenses reasonably incurred by the council in that year in connection with the establishment of, or the exercise of functions by, a DPP. The council funds the remaining 25 per cent. The Policing Board has advised me that the figures represent the expenditure apportioned to each DPP.
	
		
			  First recruitment campaign Supplementary competition Advertising stage of current recruitment campaign(40) 
			  200304 200405 200506 
		
		
			 Antrim 26,144  4,375 
			 Ards 30,752  4,375 
			 Armagh 22,916  4,375 
			 Ballymena 28,896  4,375 
			 Ballymoney 10,336  4,375 
			 Banbridge 17,044  4,375 
			 Belfast 201,604  4,375 
			 Carrickfergus 16,996  4,375 
			 Castlereagh 31,260  4,375 
			 Coleraine 27,976  4,375 
			 Cookstown 14,020  4,375 
			 Craigavon 37,928  4,375 
			 Down 25,072  4,375 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 47,995 16,480 4,375 
			 Fermanagh 21,492  4,375 
			 Larne 13,536  4,375 
			 Limavady 32,316  4,375 
			 Lisburn 54,244  4,375 
			 Magherafelt 15,788  4,375 
			 Moyle 6,304  4,375 
			 Newtownabbey 38,900  4,375 
			 Newry and Mourne 39,376  4,375 
			 North Down 37,216  4,375 
			 Omagh 22,008  4,375 
			 Strabane 15,448  4,375 
			 Total Expenditure 872,767 16,480 (41)113,750 
		
	
	(40) The current campaign has just been completed and final costs are not yet available for the selection and interviewing stage of the recruitment process.
	(41) A business case has been approved for this exercise at a total cost of 449,000.

District Policing Partnership

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) private and (b) public district policing partnership meetings were held by each District Policing Partnership in each year for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: The Policing Board has informed me that it does not monitor private meetings of the DPP and no record is maintained of the number of private meetings held. The Policing Board has confirmed the following number of public meetings.
	
		Meetings held in public
		
			  200304 200405 200506 to date 
		
		
			 Antrim 4 6 1 
			 Ards 6 7 4 
			 Armagh 6 5 3 
			 Ballymena 4 6 5 
			 Ballymoney 5 5 4 
			 Banbridge 6 6 4 
			 Belfast 17 19 10 
			 Carrickfergus 6 5 4 
			 Castlereagh 6 6 6 
			 Coleraine 6 6 4 
			 Cookstown 5 4 2 
			 Craigavon 4 7 2 
			 Derry 3 3 2 
			 Down 6 7 2 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone (42)0 (42)0 4 
			 Fermanagh 5 7 5 
			 Larne 5 5 2 
			 Limavady 4 6 5 
			 Lisburn 7 5 6 
			 Magherafelt 5 5 4 
			 Moyle 5 6 5 
			 Newry and Mourne 4 5 3 
			 Newtownabbey 5 6 2 
			 North Down 6 7 4 
			 Omagh 5 4 6 
			 Strabane 3 6 3 
		
	
	(42) The DPP in Dungannon and South Tyrone was not established until December 2004.

Driving Offences

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were stopped for not wearing their seatbelts in each of the last five years, broken down by Police Service of Northern Ireland district; and what type of fine was imposed upon each individual.

Shaun Woodward: An overall figure for the number of people stopped is not available as the Police Service of Northern Ireland does not maintain a record of those who were warned or given advice. Enforcement activity in respect of failure to wear seatbelts is largely by way of non-endorsable fixed penalty notices and figures in relation to this have been placed in the Library. Figures relating to prosecutions for failure to wear a seatbelt are not available for 200003, however I can confirm that the number of prosecutions in 2004 was 1,756.

Driving Offences

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were fined for using mobile phones while driving in each year for which records are held, broken down by Police Service of Northern Ireland district.

Shaun Woodward: The following table provides details of the number of fixed penalty notices issued for the use of a mobile phone while driving.
	
		FPNs issued for mobile phone offences1 March 2004 to 31 October 2005
		
			 DCU area FPNs issued 
		
		
			 PSNI Rural Region  
			 Armagh DCU 892 
			 Ballymena DCU 1,742 
			 Ballymoney DCU 204 
			 Banbridge DCU 447 
			 Coleraine DCU 520 
			 Cookstown DCU 534 
			 Craigavon DCU 1,750 
			 Down DCU 697 
			 Dungannon DCU 985 
			 Fermanagh DCU 551 
			 Foyle DCU 1,275 
			 Limavady DCU 450 
			 Magherafelt DCU 441 
			 Moyle DCU 64 
			 Newry and Mourne DCU 937 
			 Omagh DCU 691 
			 Strabane DCU 339 
			 Total 12,519 
			   
			 PSNI Urban Region  
			 Antrim DCU 623 
			 Belfast, East DCU 971 
			 Belfast, North DCU 419 
			 Belfast, South DCU 1,245 
			 Belfast, West DCU 321 
			 Carrickfergus DCU 131 
			 Castlereagh DCU 792 
			 Larne DCU 517 
			 Lisburn DCU 1,053 
			 Newtownabbey DCU 486 
			 Newtownards DCU 491 
			 North Down DCU 549 
			 Total 7,598 
			   
			 Total 20,117

Driving Offences

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been charged with offences in relation to the use of mobile phones while driving since the new measures were introduced, broken down by district command unit.

Shaun Woodward: The following table provides details of the number of fixed penalty notices issued for the use of a mobile phone while driving.
	
		FPNs issued for 'Misuse of mobile phones'1 March 2004 to 30 September 2005
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Urban region 
			 Antrim DCU 569 
			 Belfast East DCU 901 
			 Belfast North DCU 368 
			 Belfast South DCU 1,084 
			 Belfast West DCU 285 
			 Carrickfergus DCU 125 
			 Castlereagh DCU 701 
			 Larne DCU 481 
			 Lisburn DCU 985 
			 Newtownabbey DCU 427 
			 Newtownards DCU 449 
			 North Down DCU 497 
			 Total 6,872 
			 Rural region  
			 Armagh DCU 852 
			 Ballymena DCU 1,617 
			 Ballymoney DCU 190 
			 Banbridge DCU 421 
			 Coleraine DCU 481 
			 Cookstown DCU 512 
			 Craigavon DCU 1,636 
			 Down DCU 662 
			 Dungannon DCU 899 
			 Fermanagh DCU 491 
			 Foyle DCU 1,199 
			 Limavady DCU 431 
			 Magherafelt DCU 417 
			 Moyle DCU 61 
			 Newry and Mourne DCU 908 
			 Omagh DCU 642 
			 Strabane DCU 313 
			 Total 11,732 
			 Overall total 18,604

Hospital Staff (Attacks)

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many working hours have been lost at each accident and emergency hospital in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years due to staff being injured or suffering stress following attacks by members of the public.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Hospitals (Bed Occupancy)

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average percentage occupancy of beds at the (a) Antrim Area Hospital, (b) Whiteabbey Hospital, (c) Mid-Ulster Hospital and (d) Craigavon Area Hospital was over the last 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: Percentage bed occupancy rates during 200405 for Antrim Area Hospital, Whiteabbey Hospital, Mid-Ulster Hospital and Craigavon Area Hospital are shown in the following table.
	
		Bed occupancy by hospital for 200405
		
			 Hospital Percentage 
		
		
			 Antrim Area Hospital 76.4 
			 Whiteabbey Hospital 94.4 
			 Mid-Ulster Hospital 74.5 
			 Craigavon Area Hospital 79.9 
		
	
	Note:
	Day case admissions are excluded from the calculation for bed occupancy.
	Source:
	Departmental Information Return KH03a

Junk Food Advertising

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Government plans to restrict the advertising of crisps and cola drinks in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: Advertising is regulated throughout the UK by the Advertising Standards Authority. The UK Government, in the public health White Paper, Choosing Health, committed itself to securing, by 2007, a comprehensive and effective strategy for action to restrict the advertising and promotion to children of foods and drinks that are high in fat, salt and sugar. The Office of Communications (Ofcom) will, therefore, in the early part of 2006, be issuing a public consultation on broadcast advertising and promotion of food to children. As broadcast advertising is not a devolved matter, the consultation will be carried out on a UK-wide basis.

Knife Crime

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what measures are in place to tackle knife crime in Northern Ireland;
	(2)  what consultations he has held on stronger measures to deal with knife crime in Northern Ireland;
	(3)  what plans he has to prevent the sale of knives to people under 18 in Northern Ireland;
	(4)  what steps he has taken to prevent the carrying of knives in public by (a) people under 18 and (b) others in Northern Ireland;
	(5)  whether he has plans to introduce powers to give schools means to stop pupils from bringing knives into schools in Northern Ireland;
	(6)  how many crimes occurred in (a) North Belfast and (b) Northern Ireland where knives were used in each year between 1997 and 200102;
	(7)  what plans he has to amend the powers of the police in Northern Ireland in relation to the stop and search of people suspected of carrying knives.

David Hanson: Figures relating to knife crime are as follows:
	
		Crimes recorded where a knife was involved in the incident
		
			  Financial year  Northern Ireland North Belfast District Command Unit 
		
		
			 199899 770 76 
			 19992000 713 76 
			 200001 700 65 
			 200102 1,016 118 
			 200203 986 135 
			 200304 985 112 
			 200405 1,000 141 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures relate to offences where a knife was involved in the incidentit is not known how the knife was actually used.
	2. Figures prior to 1998 were collected on different counting rules and are not directly comparable.
	3. Figures from 200102 onwards are based on the computerised crime recording system ICIS and comparisons with previous years are not appropriate.
	4. Figures for 200203 to 200405 are provided for completeness.
	5. Figures for 200405 are provisional and may be subject to revision.
	Source:
	Central Statistics Unit, Police Service of Northern Ireland.
	It is a criminal offence to have a knife in public without good reason or lawful authority and it is an offence to manufacture, sell or lend an offensive weapon or, for example, a flick knife. The police have a number of stop-and-search powers do deal with persons suspected of carrying knives. Under the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (PACE) police have powers to stop and search a person or vehicle where they have reasonable grounds for suspecting that they will find any article in relation to an offence of having an article with a blade or sharp pointwith the exception of certain folding pocket knivesin a public place. The Public Order (Northern Ireland) Order 1987 allows police to stop and search any person or vehicle for offensive weapons or dangerous instruments whether or not they have reasonable grounds for suspicion in order to prevent serious violence in a locality. It is also an offence to have a knife or offensive weapon in a school, and the police may enter a school to search for such items. My Officials have been in contact with the Police Service of Northern Ireland in relation to knife crime and legislation and following consultation with the Home Office I have decided to extend to Northern Ireland those provisions in the Violent Crime Reduction Bill which will raise the age at which a person may lawfully be sold a knife from 16 to 18 years of age. I have no immediate plans for further change but I will keep the law in this sensitive and difficult area under review.

Libraries

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Department expects the new library to be built in Antrim town.

David Hanson: I cannot say when a new library will be built in Antrim, but I can confirm that the need for the new library for Antrim has already been established.
	Officials in the NEELB and DCAL are working closely to finalise an economic appraisal of the Board's proposed replacement and the Department should be able to support the proposal as soon as the necessary approvals have been given.
	It will be important for Antrim to have a new purpose built library as part of the Board's proposals for better service delivery.

Live Cattle Exports

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost was of policing animal welfare demonstrations during the export of live cattle from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland in the last year for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: The PSNI finance department does not hold such information on a central financial record/database or at local DCU level. Information in the form requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Looked-after Children

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children in Northern Ireland are (a) in public care, (b) living with foster carers and (c) waiting for adoptive families.

Shaun Woodward: At 31 March 2004 (the latest date for which such information is available centrally), there were 2,510 children looked after in public care in Northern Ireland, and 1,529 of these children were living with foster carers. Information on the number of children waiting for adoptive families is not available centrally.

Looked-after Children

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children in Northern Ireland for whom adoption was planned have not been adopted in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: Information on the numbers of children in Northern Ireland for whom adoption was the plan that were not adopted is not available centrally.

Loughall Police Station Shootings

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what instructions he has given to the Police Service of Northern Ireland to re-open the investigation into the shooting incident at Loughall Police Station on 8 May 1987 when eight terrorists of the Provisional IRA's East Tyrone Brigade were killed by the SAS.

Shaun Woodward: Decisions regarding the re-opening of police investigations are operational matters for the Chief Constable. However the PSNI has advised us that this incident will be looked at by the Historical Enquiry Team in due course. Its remit is to re-examine all deaths attributable to the security situation in Northern Ireland between 1969 and the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Magilligan Prison

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the performance of the Foyleview sub-unit at Magilligan prison since its opening in dealing with those prisoners eligible to be housed there.

Shaun Woodward: There has been no formal evaluation of the work of the Foyleview Unit at Magilligan prison. However, based on experience it does prove beneficial to reducing re-offending.
	Since the unit opened in 1994, 889 inmates have been housed there. Of that number, 208 were de-selected for breaches of the contract entered into with the governor as a condition of placement in the unit. A further six inmates self de-selected.
	Of the remaining 675 inmates, at least 29 are known to have re-offended since their release and subsequently been given a further custodial sentence by the courts.
	Foyleview makes a positive contribution to the local community with the inmates involved in numerous work projects throughout the area. Their efforts in working in the community have met with widespread approval.

Military Prosecutions

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what arrangements he proposes to make for (a) the prosecution and (b) the punishment of armed forces personnel in relation to incidents in Northern Ireland during the recent period of the troubles;
	(2)  what arrangements he proposes to make for (a) the prosecution and (b) the punishment of on-the-run terrorists in relation to incidents in Northern Ireland during the recent period of the troubles.

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill, which was introduced on 9 November 2005. The scheme set out in this Bill will be available for qualifying offences where individuals met the criteria set out in the Bill. The Bill covers offences under UK law committed before the Belfast Agreement (10 April 1998) in connection with terrorism and the affairs of Northern Ireland.
	All other offences committed after 10 April 1998 or by individuals not meeting the criteria will be dealt with through the normal criminal justice arrangements.

Ministerial Travel

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list, for each year since 1995, the number of flights, including helicopter flights, taken by ministers within his Department for UK and overseas visits; on how many occasions (a) charter flights were used and (b) first and club class tickets were obtained; and if he will indicate who accompanied the ministers on each trip.

Peter Hain: Ministerial travel is conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
	In respect of domestic travel the information required could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing 500 or more during each financial year. The list indicates when non-scheduled flights were used. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report information reaching back to 199596. Information for 200506 will be published after the end of the financial year.
	This answer only applies to the Northern Ireland Office and not to the 11 Departments of the devolved administration.

Missing Children

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children were reported missing in each of the last five years, broken down by Police Service Northern Ireland district.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not currently available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Motoring Offences

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many drivers were prosecuted during 2004 in Northern Ireland for driving without (a) vehicle insurance and (b) motor tax.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not yet available. Data relating to prosecutions during 2004 will become available in early 2006.

Murders

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those persons who have been murdered in Northern Ireland during the current troubles, stating in each case whether anyone has been (a) charged and (b) convicted of the murder in cases in which all proceedings are complete.

Shaun Woodward: In response to a parliamentary question in 1995, a document entitled List of deaths due to the security situation, 1969 to 1995 was placed in the Library. It is impossible to answer the remainder of the question within the time available. However, the PSNI is currently preparing an updated list and upon completion a copy will be placed in the Library.

National Minimum Wage

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many employees in his Department were affected by the rise in the national minimum wage on 1 October.

Shaun Woodward: Negotiations with the trade unions on the 2005 pay round for Northern Ireland Office staff are ongoing. The 2004 rates are still in effect, and 88 staff in the lowest grade on the minimum of the pay scale were in receipt of 5.04 per hour. In light of the increase in the national minimum wage, as an interim measure, we increased their salaries to 5.05 per hour from 1 October 2005.
	The 2005 pay settlement, backdated to 1 April, will result in all staff being paid above the national minimum wage.

Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of individuals who are likely to be affected by the special arrangements proposed in the Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill.

Peter Hain: Decisions on whether an individual is eligible for the scheme will be taken by an independent Certification Commissioner using criteria set out in the Bill. The number of individuals who are affected by the legislation will depend on the outcome of the Commissioner's decisions. The Government do not hold figures on how many people would meet the eligibility requirements of the scheme.

On-the-runs

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people he expects will be affected by the proposed legislation regarding on-the-runs in relation to offences committed in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) England, Scotland and Wales.

Peter Hain: The Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill was introduced in Parliament on 9 November 2005.
	It provides that an independent Certification Commissioner would determine whether individuals are eligible for the proposed scheme, using criteria set out in the Bill. The number of individuals who are affected by the legislation will depend on the outcome of the Commissioner's decisions.

Operation Viper

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fixed penalties fines were issued in each district command by the operations command units during the most recent Operation Viper.

Shaun Woodward: The most recent Operation Viper took place on 14 and 15 October 2005. Figures on the number of fixed penalty fines issued during this operation are not yet available.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what role the C3 branch of the Police Service of Northern Ireland plays regarding intelligence surrounding the deaths of terrorists and civilians in Northern Ireland at the hands of security forces.

Shaun Woodward: C3 branch of the Police Service for Northern Ireland are tasked with the gathering, assessment and dissemination of intelligence for all serious crime.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assistance has been requested from the Ministry of Defence by the Police Service of Northern Ireland for historical review.

Shaun Woodward: I am advised that senior managers from the Historical Enquiries Team (C8) of PSNI have been in regular contact with the Tribunals and Inquiries Unit of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) while the HET has been in the process of setting up. The MOD has been fully supportive and discussions are continuing about a formal Memorandum of Understanding, to govern the exchange of any information required.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2005, Official Report, column 1378W, on police, how many members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland Diving Unit have been available for operational duties in each month in 2005; and what the unit's budget allocation was in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The funding of the unit is provided from central budgets and costs are not readily available.
	Listed in the following table are the duties of the Underwater Search Unit in 2005. Seventeen members were on training days when called out.
	
		
			 Month Call-outs Training days Members 
		
		
			 January 1 4 7 
			 February 7 3 6 
			 March 11 1 6 
			 April 4 2 7 
			 May 9 3 7 
			 June 13 2 6 
			 July 9  5 
			 August 6 4 5 
			 September 11 3 6 
			 October 13 1 6 
		
	
	Note:
	Total number of days for Underwater Search Unit duties is 107.

Punishment Beatings

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many punishment beatings were reported in each of the last 12 months, broken down by district command unit.

Shaun Woodward: The following table Casualties as a result of paramilitary style assaults from October 2004 to September 2005 refers. You should note that 2005 statistics are provisional and subject to minor amendment.
	
		Casualties as a result of paramilitary style assaultsOctober 2004 to September 2005
		
			  2004 2005 
			 DCU October November December January February March April 
		
		
			 Antrim 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Ards 2 0 1 1 0 1 0 
			 Armagh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Banbridge 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 East Belfast 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 North Belfast 1 4 0 3 6 1 0 
			 South Belfast 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 
			 West Belfast 2 1 0 1 0 1 1 
			 Ballymena 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Ballymoney 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Carrickfergus 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Coleraine 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 
			 Cookstown 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Craigavon 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Castlereagh 0 0 0 0 0 0 [ 
			 Dungannon and S Tyrone 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 
			 Down 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 
			 Fermanagh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Foyle 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 
			 Larne 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Limavady 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lisburn 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Magherafelt 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Moyle 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Newtownabbey 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 North Down 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Newry and Mourne 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 
			 Omagh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Strabane 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 
			 Total 9 11 6 9 11 10 4 
		
	
	
		
			  2005 
			 DCU May June July August September Total 
		
		
			 Antrim 0 3 2 0 o 5 
			 Ards 3 0 0 0 0 8 
			 Armagh 0 0 1 0 0 1 
			 Banbridge 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 East Belfast 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 North Belfast 1 1 0 0 0 17 
			 South Belfast 0 0 2 2 0 6 
			 West Belfast 0 1 0 0 0 7 
			 Ballymena 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Ballymoney 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Carrickfergus 0 4 0 1 0 7 
			 Coleraine 0 0 0 0 1 4 
			 Cookstown 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Craigavon 0 1 0 0 0 3 
			 Castlereagh 2 0 0 1 1 4 
			 Dungannon and S Tyrone 0 0 0 0 0 4 
			 Down 0 1 0 0 0 4 
			 Fermanagh 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Foyle 4 1 0 0 0 9 
			 Larne 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Limavady 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lisburn 1 1 0 0 0 3 
			 Magherafelt 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Moyle 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Newtownabbey 2 1 0 1 0 6 
			 North Down 1 1 0 0 0 3 
			 Newry and Mourne 0 1 0 0 0 4 
			 Omagh 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Strabane 0 0 0 0 0 4 
			 Total 14 17 5 5 2 103 
		
	
	Source:
	Central Statistics Unit, Police Service of Northern Ireland

Road Deaths

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were killed on the roads of Northern Ireland (a) in each year from 1994 to 2004 and (b) in each month in 2005.

Shaun Woodward: The number of people killed on the roads of Northern Ireland (a) in each year from 1994 to 2004 and (b) in each month in the year 2005 are provided in the following tables:
	
		
			  Number of fatalities 
		
		
			 1994 157 
			 1995 144 
			 1996 142 
			 1997 144 
			 1998 160 
			 1999 141 
			 2000 171 
			 2001 148 
			 2002 150 
			 2003 150 
			 2004 147 
		
	
	
		
			 2005 Number of fatalities 
		
		
			 January 12 
			 February 8 
			 March 9 
			 April 9 
			 May 12 
			 June 13 
			 July 12 
			 August 9 
			 September 14 
			 October 9 
			 Total 107

Smoking

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the ban on smoking in public places in Northern Ireland in the first five years of operation.

Shaun Woodward: The introduction of smoke-free legislation will protect children, employees and the public in general from the increased health risks associated with exposure to second hand smoke such as lung cancer, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, asthma and other circulatory and respiratory diseases. Experience elsewhere suggests that comprehensive controls also help reduce smoking prevalence.
	The draft smoke-free legislation will be issued for public consultation early in the new year and will be accompanied by a draft Regulatory Impact Assessment, which will address both the health and economic implications of tobacco control measures.

Special Advisers

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the special advisers in post in his Department, broken down by pay band; and what the total budgeted cost to his Department of special advisers is for 200506.

Shaun Woodward: Since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the names and overall cost of special advisers and the number in each pay band. For the most recent information I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister on 21 July 2005, Official Report, columns 15862WS.
	Information on the numbers of special advisers prior to 2003 was provided at regular intervals and this information will be available in the Library of the House.
	Information relating to costs for 200506 will be published after the end of the current financial year.

Speed Detection Devices

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions the (a) Operational Command Unit and (b) District Command Unit have used speed detection devices on the Upper Newtownards Road in each of the last six months.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not recorded.

Staff Discipline

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many employees have been dismissed by his Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: The following table sets out the number of employees who have been dismissed by the Northern Ireland Office in each of the last five years.
	
		
			 Date dismissed Reason for dismissal Number 
		
		
			 6 October 2000 Misconduct 1 
			 27 August 2004 Inefficiencypoor performance 1 
			 27 August 2004 Misconduct 1

Stinger Devices

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 24 October 2005, Official Report, column 120W, on stinger devices, how many stinger type devices there are in each police district in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is provided in the table as follows:
	
		
			 Stinger devices by DCU Number 
		
		
			 Belfast, East 6 
			 Belfast, West 17 
			 Newtownabbey 4 
			 Larne 2 
			 Coleraine 0 
			 Ballymena 2 
			 Moyle 3 
			 Carrickfergus 2 
			 Lisburn 10 
			 Craigavon 3 
			 Armagh 5 
			 Antrim 9 
			 Belfast, North 15 
			 Belfast, South 13 
			 Castlereagh 4 
			 North Down 8 
			 Ards 3 
			 Banbridge 2 
			 Ballymoney 2 
			 Cookstown 2 
			 Dungannon 9 
			 Down 7 
			 Fermanagh 20 
			 Foyle 9 
			 Limavady 1 
			 Magherafelt 4 
			 Newry and Mourne 6 
			 Omagh 6 
			 Strabane 4 
			 Total 178

Tax Credits (Helpline)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will re-introduce an intermediary telephone helpline for recognised advisory services to contact the Regional Inland Revenue Office in Belfast in relation to tax credit inquiries from Northern Ireland.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	HM Revenue and Customs' Tax Credit Office continues to maintain a telephone helpline service for recognised advisory services in Northern Ireland.

Under-age Drinking

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many cases of under-age drinking the Police Service of Northern Ireland have brought to local councils in Northern Ireland in the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many times the Police Service of Northern Ireland have brought cases regarding the breach of drinking by-laws to each of the local government authorities in each of the last five years.

Peter Hain: The Chief Constable has advised me that to obtain such information would require a manual trawl of records in each of the 29 District Command Units and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Vehicle and Pedestrian Attacks

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many attacks were recorded on the stretch of road from Newtownards Road, Bridge End area to Westbourne Church (a) on vehicles and (b) on pedestrians in each of the past 12 months; and what the perceived (i) religious and (ii) political affiliations were of (A) the victims and (B) the attackers;
	(2)  how many attacks have been recorded on the stretch of road from Mount Pottinger Corner to Central Station in Belfast (a) on vehicles and (b) on pedestrians in each of the past 12 months; and what the perceived (i) religious and (ii) political affiliations were of (A) the victims and (B) the attackers.

Shaun Woodward: The PSNI does not record the religious or political affiliation of perpetrators and victims of crimes.
	To ascertain the number vehicles subject to criminal damage and persons subject to assault in tightly defined geographical areas such as those listed in the questions would require the services of a police analyst. To have an analyst undertake this research would extract them from their prioritised work in East Belfast DCU, incurring disproportionate cost to answer the question.
	The DCU Commander in East Belfast suggests that it may help for the Sector Commander responsible for that area to meet with Lady Hermon or other UUP representative to discuss the matter further.

Waiting Lists/Times

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting time was in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005 for people in Northern Ireland who required an MRI scan.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not collected centrally.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Chorley Magistrates Court

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  how many court sessions took place at Chorley magistrates court in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what plans she has to increase the number of court sessions in magistrates courts to reduce the time from arrest to trial;
	(3)  how many magistrates operate from Chorley court; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  what plans there are to increase the number of magistrates in (a) Chorley and (b) Lancashire;
	(5)  if she will make a statement on the future of Chorley magistrates court.

Harriet Harman: The number of half day sittings at Chorley magistrates court for the last three years are (a) 998 for 2002 (b) 852 for 2003 and (c) 621 for 2004.
	The Government established the new organisation of Her Majesty's Courts Service on 1 April 2005 to administer all Magistrates, County and Crown Courts. This will allow increased flexibility of sitting across all courts. Under this Government targets have been established to bring more offenders to justice and a Criminal Case Management Framework has been introduced to ensure cases are properly prepared and to reduce unnecessary delay.
	The number of magistrates sitting at Chorley magistrates court is 74. The average number of sittings was 32.16 (during the period 1 January 2004 until 31 December 2004) the weighted caseload was 18,324.25.
	The Advisory Committee for this area will meet on 12 December 2005, to discuss the likely requirements in 200607 for Chorley, Ormskirk and South Ribble Local Justice Areas. A major press and radio campaign was launched on 12 September 2005. Out of a total of 108 completed application forms received to date nine are for Chorley.
	There has been significant investment in Chorley magistrates court in the last two years and it forms an integral part of the future plans for the area. Her Majesty's Court Service Area Director for Lancashire is consulting on a possible merger of the three local benches but has confirmed that this would not affect the future of any of the courts at Chorley, Leyland, or Ormskirk under present business needs.

Congestion Charge

John Spellar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much the Government car service has paid to Transport for London in congestion charges since they were introduced.

Jim Murphy: I have been asked to reply.
	The responsibility for the provision of ministerial cars and drivers has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Government Car Despatch Agency. I have asked its chief executive Mr. Roy Burke to write to the right, hon. Member. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Library.

Coroners

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what representations she has received in connection with the current review of coroners services from (a) the National Missing Persons Helpline, (b) pathologists and (c) forensic scientists.

Harriet Harman: There have been three formal opportunities for representative groups, or particular organisations, to make submissions about coroner services in recent years: to the Shipman Inquiry; to the Fundamental Review of the Coroner System; and in response to the Government's consequent Position Paper in 2004. Representations have been received from the Royal College of Pathologists on all three occasions, together with a number of comments from individual pathologists; from the British Association of Forensic Science to the Fundamental Review; but no representations have been received from the National Missing Persons Helpline.

Coroners

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent discussions she has had with representatives of coroners courts on the identification of dead persons.

Harriet Harman: I have had general discussions with (a) coroner officers (b) coroners and (c) Associated Chief of Police Offices. Discussions in individual cases take place as necessary.

Domestic Violence Court (Teesside)

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has for a specialist domestic violence court in Teesside.

Harriet Harman: The Department for Constitutional Affairs wrote to all magistrates courts committees on 15 December 2004 asking for expressions of interest in setting up a specialist DV court (SDVC). Teesside magistrates court was not among those who responded and was therefore not included in the selection process for establishing the first 25 specialist domestic violence court systems across England and Wales. The Home Office has recently announced a further 1 million to develop and extend the programme further in 200607. As before, all areas across England and Wales will be invited to put themselves forward for inclusion in the programme and a further selection process is planned for early in the new year..

Electoral Administration Bill

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what role the right hon. Member for Makerfield (Mr. McCartney) played in the drafting of the Electoral Administration Bill.

Harriet Harman: The right hon. Member for Makerfield played no part in the drafting of the Bill. He is a Member of the Legislative Programme and the Constitutional Affairs sub-committee on Electoral Policy (CA(EP) which approved the content of the Bill.

Female Judges/Magistrates

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps she is taking to increase the number of female (a) judges and (b) magistrates sitting in the Teesside courts.

Harriet Harman: The Department for Constitutional Affairs is taking forward a Judicial Diversity programme which is aimed at increasing applications for judicial office from groups currently under-represented in the judiciary, including women. The Judicial Diversity programme focuses on three main areas:
	Encouraging applications and raising awareness
	Removing barriers to appointment
	Ensuring that the way judicial office operates encourages and supports a more diverse judiciary.
	As part of the work to encourage applications and raise awareness, the Department is conducting a number of outreach events. Events were held at Newcastle Upon Tyne in June 2005 and at Bedlington magistrates court in October 2005 to inform lawyers about the appointments process and encourage them to apply.
	There is a managed recruitment campaign in South Cleveland, aimed at encouraging members of the community to apply for the magistracy. My Department is currently supporting the local Advisory Committee's plans to recruit a further 15 magistrates. Together, we launched a major press and radio campaign at the beginning of October 2005. This was supplemented by a presentation at Teesside University on 3 October and an open day at Teesside Law Courts 22 October.

Female Judges/Magistrates

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what proportion of the magistrates sitting at Middlesbrough and Guisborough magistrates courts is female.

Harriet Harman: The total number of female magistrates on the Teesside bench, that sits at Middlesbrough, is 131 out of a total of 310 (42.2 per cent.). The Langbaurgh East bench, which sits at Guisborough magistrates court, has 44 magistrates of which 19 are female (43.1 per cent.).

Great War Medal Index Cards

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answers of 7 November 2005, Official Report, columns 16566W, on the Great War Medal Index Cards, whether other (a) organisations and (b) museums were given the opportunity to bid for ownership of the cards; and how the Western Front Association was informed that the National Archives wished to pass on the cards.

Harriet Harman: The Ministry of Defence, together with the National Archives, held discussions with the Imperial War Museum (IWM), the National Army Museum, the Fleet Air Arm Museum, the Women's Library and Lancashire Military Museums concerning the First World War Army Medal Index Cards.
	The considerable publicity given to this subject last spring provided an opportunity for other organisations to express an interest in acquiring the cards. This publicity prompted the Western Front Association to contact the National Archives.

Junior Judges

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has for the mentoring of junior salaried judges to encourage them to progress to higher judicial office.

Harriet Harman: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz) on the 14 November 2005, Official Report, column 1000W.

Legal Aid

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much legal aid was paid to (a) solicitors, (b) junior counsel and (c) senior counsel in each year in England and Wales since 2000.

Bridget Prentice: The table sets out the payments made both for the Community Legal Service and the Criminal Defence Service. Payment records at the Legal Services Commission do not differentiate between junior and senior counsel. The figures shown therefore account for payments made to all categories of barrister and solicitor.
	The figures are gross (i.e. not the cost to public funds) and do not include payments to other people and organisations such as Not for Profit agencies, mediators, trainers and the service for providing police station telephone advice. Figures shown in the Legal Services Commission's annual reports do include such figures.
	
		000
		
			  Community legal service Criminal defence service 
			  Solicitor(43) Barrister Solicitor(43) Barrister 
		
		
			 200001 967,166 188,139 628,634 249,700 
			 200102 881,942 192,062 723,363 265,180 
			 200203 867,425 189,376 774,371 317,365 
			 200304 908,209 198,050 825,277 351,020 
			 200405 810,643 182,760 834,624 354,178 
		
	
	(43) Figures include third party disbursements (for example, expert witnesses)

Lord Justice Wall Investigation

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when Lord Justice Wall is expected to report on his investigation into five cases in which the family courts were involved and children were subsequently killed during contact visits.

Bridget Prentice: Lord Justice Wall has been conducting an internal review, from the judicial perspective, for the President of the Family Division. This is in the light of broad concerns expressed rather than a response to individual complaints. This is a judicial matter.

Privy Council

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 November 2005, Official Report, column 1339W on what date the Privy Council meeting was held at Balmoral; which Ministers attended; whether each (a) departed from and (b) returned to London; and what business was conducted.

Harriet Harman: The Privy Council meeting at Balmoral Castle was held on 13 September 2004, and was attended by Baroness Amos, Alan Milburn and Alan Johnson. All the Ministers departed from and returned to London. The business of the meeting was to swear in Alan Johnson as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Following the Privy Council meeting, in a separate audience with the Queen, Alan Milburn made affirmation as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Queen's Counsel

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether the panel for interviewing and recommending appointments to the role of Queen's counsel will be subject to the proposed duty on public authorities to promote gender equality.

Harriet Harman: Queen's counsel remains a public appointment for the time being. The Secretary of State has already included improvements in fairness and diversity in the goals for the QC scheme agreed by the professions. The Equality Bill is currently before Parliament. As currently drafted, I expect that both the QC selection panel in making recommendations to the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of State in advising Her Majesty, will be subject to the duty. In any event, the Secretary of State expects equal treatment to be an essential part of the panel's consideration of applications.

Queen's Counsel

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many Queen's counsel appointed in each of the last five years (a) in England and (b) on the north eastern circuit were women.

Harriet Harman: No Queen's counsel have been appointed since Easter 2003; we expect the first new recommendations to come from the independent selection panel in April or May 2006. The numbers of female appointees for the whole of England and Wales in the last five years were:
	
		
			  Number of female appointees 
		
		
			 2001 10 
			 2002 12 
			 2003 9 
		
	
	Figures for individual circuits are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Rape Trials

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs in how many rape trials at a Crown court (a) a female and (b) a male judge sat in each of the last five years; and how many cases resulted in (i) conviction and (ii) acquittal in each case.

Harriet Harman: We do not hold centrally information on the gender of the judge who sits on trials including rape trials. Departmental records however show that there were a total of 6,237 rape trials for the period starting 2001 up to now. 2,059 trials resulted in a conviction and 3,615 in an acquittal. 563 resulted in 'other' disposal such as the jury being unable to agree on a verdict.

Rape Trials

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many rape trials were listed as floating cases in the first half of 2005 in (a) the central criminal court and (b) Teesside Crown court.

Harriet Harman: Departmental records show that during the first half of 2005, there were no rape trials listed as floaters at the central criminal court. There were two cases listed as floaters at Teesside Crown court but this should be placed in the context of 21 cases listed for trial where there was at least one count of rape.

Rape Trials

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many rape trials in which all proceedings are complete have been conducted in Teesside Crown Court under the revised definition of that offence in the Sexual Offences Act 2003; and what verdicts have been returned in each case.

Harriet Harman: Departmental records show that there have been 12 completed rape trials under the revised definition of that offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 at Teesside Crown Court. Three resulted in a conviction and nine in an acquittal.

Teesside Crown Court

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what facilities for video-linked examination in chief and cross examinations are in use in (a) Teesside Crown Court and (b) Middlesbrough and Guisborough magistrates courts; and what further facilities are proposed in each of the next two years.

Harriet Harman: Teesside Crown court has six videolink facilities, Middlesbrough magistrates court has four videolink facilities, and Guisbrough magistrates court has one videolink installed that can be used for giving evidence in chief and cross examination.
	There are no current plans to install additional videolinks in the magistrates courts. However, the Department is putting together a business case for additional equipment in Crown court centres for 2006.

Teesside Crown Court

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what proportion of the permanent judiciary in Teesside Crown court is female.

Harriet Harman: There are nine judges who sit permanently at Teesside Crown court. Currently none of them are female.

Teesside Crown Court

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what proportion of Crown court recorders (a) in England and (b) sitting regularly in Teesside Crown court are women.

Harriet Harman: There are 1,276 recorders who sit in crime in England of whom 180 are women.
	Of the 51 recorders assigned to the Cleveland/Durham/Northumbria pool, five are female. Four of these sit regularly at Teesside Crown court.

Trials (Special Measures)

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will include trials concerning special measures among those where special measures for the protection of witnesses are automatically approved.

Fiona Mactaggart: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government recognise that giving evidence in court can be a traumatic experience.
	Because of the nature of sexual offences and the sensitivity of the evidence that is given, complainants in sexual offences are automatically eligible for special measures unless they advise the court that they do not want such assistance. Witnesses aged under 17 years are also automatically eligible for special measures assistance. A victim of domestic violence who falls into one of these categories will be eligible automatically for special measures.
	Other complainants and witnesses, including those who are victims of domestic violence but who do not fall into these automatic categories, whose quality of evidence may be diminished by reason of incapacity or because of fear or distress about testifying can apply to the court for a special measures direction.
	The Government believe that allowing courts to apply these principles strikes the right balance enabling measures to be taken which are appropriate to the particular circumstances of a case taking account of the needs and wishes of individual complainants and witnesses. We have no plans to amend the legislation to make special measures automatic in cases of domestic violence.
	In addition to the practical measures available in cases of domestic violence, the specialist domestic violence courts programme we are taking forward is about situating the court and the criminal justice system as part of a community wide response to domestic violence which places the victim at the heart of the process. We have a programme in place to expand the existing network of specialist courts across the country and propose to develop courts in 25 areas by April 2006. Additional funding of 1 million was announced in October 2005 to expand the programme further in 200607.

Young Voters

Iain Wright: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what percentage of people aged 18 to 21 years voted in the (a) 1992, (b) 1997, (c) 2001 and (d) 2005 general elections.

Harriet Harman: No record is kept of categories of electors who cast votes in UK elections based upon age. Elections in the UK are conducted on the basis of the relevant electoral register which does not identify the age of electors.

PRIME MINISTER

Aircraft Carriers

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence regarding the eligibility of Swan Hunter to bid for inclusion in the CVF programme.

Tony Blair: I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

China

Mike Hancock: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the (a) occasions and (b) dates when he has raised human rights in (i) Tibet and (ii) China with members of the Chinese Government in each of the last three years;

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Prime Minister whether he discussed Tibet with (a) Chinese President Hu Jintao and (b) Premier Wen Jiabao during his meetings with them in September; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 17 October 2005, Official Report, column 663W.
	I also refer the hon. Members to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Ian Pearson) to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on Friday 11 November, Official Report, column 86364W.

Commission for Africa

Andrew George: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with members of the Commission for Africa since it reported.

Tony Blair: I have remained in contact with members of the Commission for Africa since it reported, including during the G8 summit at Gleneagles in July. Following the launch of the Commission for Africa's Report in March, our priority has been to ensure that its recommendations are implemented. The report itself is only a first step, and is only valuable if we act on it and use it to achieve change to support Africa's development.

Departmental Consultants/Special Advisers

Michael Penning: To ask the Prime Minister how many (a) consultants and (b) special advisers were employed by his Office in each year since 1997; what the cost of each was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: In relation to the employment of consultants my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Murphy) on Wednesday 16 November 2005, Official Report, column 1257W.
	In relation to special advisers, since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the names and overall cost of special advisers and the number in each payband. I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on Thursday 21 July 2005, Official Report, 15861WS. Information on the numbers of special advisers prior to 2003 was provided at regular intervals and this information will be available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Consultants/Special Advisers

John Hemming: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the special advisers in post in his Office, broken down by pay band; and what the total budgeted cost to his Office of special advisers is for 200506.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on Thursday 21 July 2005, Official Report, 15861WS.
	Information on special advisers for 200506 will be published in the normal way once it has been completed.

Departmental Staff

Michael Penning: To ask the Prime Minister how many staff in his Office were (a) civil servants, (b) contractors and (c) other staff in each year since 1997.

Tony Blair: For these purposes my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Murphy) on Thursday 17 November 2005, Official Report, column 1407W.

Financial Accountability

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the chain of financial accountability for the Prime Minister's Office; and what codes govern the legality of spending therein.

Tony Blair: My Office forms part of the Cabinet Office for budgeting purposes, and its expenditure is reported in the Cabinet Office's resource accounts, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House. The Cabinet Office is subject to the normal rules of government accounting.

G8 Climate Change Conference

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his speech of 2 November 2005 at the G8 climate change conference, whether his statement on external imposition of internal targets referred to (a) the Kyoto protocol and (b) the general concept of binding greenhouse gas reduction targets; and what assessment he has made of whether a framework of the kind he refers to for the private sector would require binding targets to be effective.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the speech I gave at the Lord Mayor's banquet on 14 November 2005. A copy of this is available on the Number 10 website.

Gifts

David Jones: To ask the Prime Minister what procedures he followed under paragraph 5.25 of the Ministerial Code in respect of gifts of watches and other jewellery to him and his family by the Prime Minister of Italy.

Tony Blair: This is accounted for in the annual published list of gifts received by Ministers valued at more than 140. Information for the period June 2001 to 31 March 2005 is available in the Libraries of the House.

Media Relations

Alex Salmond: To ask the Prime Minister how much his Office spent on external media relations in each year since 2001.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 165W.

Ministerial Committee on Intelligence Services

James Clappison: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the dates on which the Ministerial Committee on Intelligence Services has met since December 2003.

Tony Blair: Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice and the proceedings of Cabinet and Cabinet committees is generally not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

Ministerial Resignations (Payments)

David Laws: To ask the Prime Minister if he will review the rules under which Ministers who resign receive lump sum payments in cases where (a) their resignation is caused by an error of judgment or by a failure of policy and (b) they return to Government within a period of two years; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the letter I sent him on Monday 14 November 2005. Copies of the letter have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Ministerial Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister how much has been spent in each year from 1 May 1997 on his official travel, broken down by (a) provision and running costs of vehicular transport, (b) first class travel by rail, (c) standard class travel by rail, (d) first class travel by air, (e) club or equivalent class travel by air and (f) economy class travel by air.

Tony Blair: The information requested cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.
	However, in respect of ministerial cars provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office (Mr. Murphy) has asked Roy Burke, Chief Executive of the GCDA to write to the hon. Member with details of the costs of ministerial vehicles provided to Departments in 200405. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House. For information for the financial years 200001 to 200304 I refer the hon. Member to the letters from the Chief Executive of the GCDA to the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) dated 10 January 2005 and to the then hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Howard Flight) dated 13 September 2003. Copies of these letters are available in the Library of the House.
	In respect of overseas travel, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing 500 or more during each financial year. Copies of these lists are available in the Library of the House. Information on the number of officials accompanying ministers on overseas visits is included in the list. All Ministers travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel set out in Chapter 10 of the Ministerial Code, and the accompanying guidance document, Travel by Ministers. Information for the year 200506 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the financial year.

Ministerial Travel

Michael Penning: To ask the Prime Minister how many (a) flights and (b) helicopter flights have been taken by Ministers within his Department for (i) UK and (ii) overseas visits; on how many occasions (A) charter flights were used and (B) first and club class tickets were obtained; and who accompanied the Ministers on each trip.

Tony Blair: The information requested cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.
	However in respect of overseas travel, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing 500 or more during each financial year. Copies of these lists are available in the Library of the House. Information on the number of officials accompanying ministers on overseas visits is included in the list. All Ministers travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel set out in Chapter 10 of the Ministerial Code, and the accompanying guidance document, Travel by Ministers. Information for the year 200506 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the financial year.

Ministerial Travel

Greg Hands: To ask the Prime Minister when he last travelled on the London underground on official business.

Tony Blair: I travel making the most efficient and cost-effective arrangements, and use the underground as and when appropriate. My travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel set out in Chapter 10 of the Ministerial Code, and the accompanying guidance document, Travel by Ministers.

Ministerial Visits

Michael Penning: To ask the Prime Minister how many times he has visited (a) Dacorum and (b) Hertfordshire in his official capacity in the last 12 months; and what the purpose was of each visit.

Tony Blair: I have visited Hertfordshire twice in the last year. My visits cover a range of matters including health, education, criminal justice and the economy. I travel making the most efficient and cost-effective arrangements. My travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel set out in Chapter 10 of the Ministerial Code, and the accompanying guidance document, Travel by Ministers.

Staff Discipline

David Davies: To ask the Prime Minister how many employees have been dismissed from his Office in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Tony Blair: For these purposes my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I have therefore asked my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office to reply. A copy of the reply will be placed in the Library of the House.

Terrorism Legislation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his oral answer of 9 November 2005, Official Report, column 298W, to the right hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard), what means he used to calculate the conversion between gigabytes and feet.

Tony Blair: The method of calculation was taken from the 'New Perspectives Series' published by Thomson Leaning entitled 'Computer Concepts, Fourth Edition, Enhanced' (June Parsons and Dan Oja, Chapter 4, Section D), which calculates that a computer hard drive of 20.4 gigabytes would equate to 5.4 million sheets of single spaced normal text, which would in turn produce a stack of paper around 1,800 feet high. The computer hard drive in question equalled 750 gigabytes which would, therefore, have produced the equivalent of 198 million sheets of paper standing at 66,176 feet high.

Visits

Bob Spink: To ask the Prime Minister if he will visit Cyprus during his term of office.

Tony Blair: I have no current plans to do so.

WORK AND PENSIONS

0870 Numbers

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by his Department as contact numbers for members of the public; and how much revenue was received from the use of 0870 contact numbers in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Anne McGuire: All contact numbers used by the Department for members of the public operate on 0845 (local rate) or 0800 (free) phone numbers. There are no records available of 0870 numbers having been used by the Department for Work and Pensions as contact numbers for members of the public.

Benefits

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what proportion of incapacity benefit claimants do not have a first level 2 qualification;
	(2)  what proportion of lone parents on benefits do not have a first level 2 qualification.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available.

Benefits

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2005, Official Report, columns 14445 to the right hon. and learned Member for Kensington and Chelsea (Sir Malcolm Rifkind) on new deal, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of people who registered with a new deal for disabled people job broker (i) found part-time work which was not sustained, (ii) found full-time work which was not sustained and (ii) did not find work, from July 2001 to May 2005.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 15 November 2005
	Between July 2001 and May 2005, a total of 144,360 people had registered with a new deal for disabled people (NDDP) job broker. The number of people gaining a job up to May 2005, following registration with an NDDP job broker, was 59,560. Of these, 29,170 (20.2 per cent.) found sustained full-time jobs and 16,420 (11.4 per cent.) found unsustained full time jobs; 8,620 people (59.7 per cent.) found sustained part-time jobs and 5,340 (3.7 per cent.) found unsustained part-time jobs.
	In the same period, 84,800 (58.7 per cent.) of those registered with an NDDP job broker had not yet found work. However, 67,230 of these were still participating in the programme and so may go on to gain a job.
	Notes:
	1. For the purposes of new deal for disabled people, a job is regarded as sustained when a person, placed into work through an NDDP job broker, remains in work for 13 out of 39 weeks. Prior to October 2003, an NDDP job was regarded as sustained when a person, placed into work through an NDDP job broker, remained in work for 26 out of 39 weeks. 2. NDDP jobs data relates only to the number of individuals gaining a job through an NDDP job broker. A measure of sustainability is not available for non-job broker jobs. 3. Although data are now available on people into jobs through NDDP up to the end of August 2005, data provided is up to the end of May 2005, to allow three months for the job to be recorded as sustained. 4. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	DWP Information Directorate

Benefits

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of benefit claims are being handled manually because of flaws in the CMS IT system; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Lesley Strathie to Mr. David Laws, dated 21 November 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning the proportion of benefit claims being handled manually because of the flaws in the Customer Management IT System (CMS).
	Jobcentre Plus is undergoing a massive change programme. We are making substantial investment to modernise our IT, which will result in an improved service to customers, irrespective of where they live. We currently have rolled out around 2/3 of the national network using the CMS system. Initially, we encountered some problems with performance and reliability, but these have been dealt with through a series of performance releases.
	CMS now performs to agreed service levels. However, in recent weeks our customers have experienced difficulties in getting through to our contact centres. We have taken steps to tackle these problems, by introducing temporary adjustments, including some clerical activities, to streamline business processes whilst we go through this transition period.
	The current position is that we have 9 of our 24 contact centres operating some clerical processes. The extent of clerical activity will vary between different offices. It is not possible to identify the proportion of claims not subject to the full CMS processes, but we continue to deliver full CMS supported processes in around two-thirds of our contact centres and in well over three-quarters of linked sites. This situation is changing all of the time. Early indications are encouraging, and we have seen week-on-week improvements in call handling since the beginning of September.
	I hope this is helpful.

Benefits

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Gravesham constituency were in receipt of incapacity benefit in each year since May 1997.

Anne McGuire: The information is in the table.
	
		Incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disablement allowance (SDA) claimants in the Gravesham parliamentary constituency
		
			  
		
		
			 May 1997 3,300 
			 May 1998 3,600 
			 May 1999 3,300 
			 May 2000 3,300 
			 May 2001 3,300 
			 May 2002 3,300 
			 May 2003 3,400 
			 May 2004 3,500 
			 May 2005 3,500 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The parliamentary constituency figures for the years 1997 to 1999 have been produced using the 5 per cent. data and have been rated up proportionally using the Great Britain WPLS 100 per cent. IB/SDA totals.
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 'Claimant' figures include all IB and SDA (including IB credits only cases).
	Source:
	DWP Information Directorate, 5 per cent, Samples from 1997 to 1999 and Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) 100 per cent. data thereafter.

Benefits

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Gravesham constituency were entitled to an income-related benefit in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not available.
	Estimates of the number of pensioners entitled to the main income-related benefits are available on a national basis only. These can be found in the DWP report series: Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up; copies of which are available in the Library.

Benefits

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many working age incapacity benefit claimants receive income support with a disability premium; and how this number has changed since May 1997.

Anne McGuire: The information is in the table.
	
		Working-age incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disability allowance (SDA) claimants also in receipt of income support with a disability premium.
		
			   IB/SDA total Receiving income support with a disability premium 
		
		
			 May 1997 2,624,600 749,500 
			 May 2005 2,741,200 1,050,600 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The figures for 1997 have been produced using the 5 per cent. data and have been rated up proportionally using the Great Britain WPLS 100 per cent. IB/SDA totals.
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 'claimant' figures include all IB and SDA (including IB credits only cases).
	Source:
	DWP Information Directorate, 5 per cent. samples from 1997 to 1999 and Work and Pensions longitudinal study (WPLS) 100 per cent. data thereafter.

Benefits

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what percentage of benefit claims in integrated benefit system pilots areas have taken longer than the 12-day target to process;
	(2)  what the average time taken to process a benefit claim has been in the integrated benefit system pilot areas.

Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Lesley Strathie to Mr. Graham Brady, dated 21 November 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions concerning what percentage of benefit claims have taken longer than the 12-day target to process and the average time taken to process a benefit claim in the integrated benefit system pilot areas. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus is currently in the process of rolling out its integrated offices and so the number of such outlets changes quickly and, at the same time, we are rationalising and centralising the sites where benefit processing is carried out.
	Jobcentre Plus administers many types of benefit. There are two that have a 12-day clearance target: Job Seeker's Allowance and Income Support.
	Processing Centres keep statistics about the number of claims that are cleared and how long it took. The statistics only show where the claim was processed, not where it originated. Processing Centres have no means to differentiate between claims that have been made via its new integrated offices and existing service outlets. Unfortunately, this means that we cannot answer the question in the manner in which you requested the information.
	We can say, however, that in September, Jobcentre plus had processed 180,639 claims to Job Seeker's Allowance and had completed 93.3% of these within the12 day clearance target. I am pleased to say that the Actual Average Clearance time for Income Support was 10.8 days, which is well within our target.
	I hope this is helpful.

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanisms are in place to assess the effectiveness of consultant-led projects in his Department; what sanctions are available to penalise consultants who run unsuccessful projects; how many projects conducted by consultants were assessed as unsuccessful in each year since 2000; and what sanctions were imposed in each case.

Margaret Hodge: DWP do not use consultants to lead projects within the Department as they are only engaged to support DWP-led projects.
	The majority of engagements for consultancy are awarded on a fixed price basis with payment only made when products have been satisfactorily delivered. Longer-term engagements will have a number of break/review points built into the contract where the customer will review what has been delivered. In cases of poor delivery the contract can be terminated. Therefore, we do not have a system of sanctions in place, consultants are paid if and when we are satisfied with the work delivered. Some contracts will also include a performance based system of incentivisation.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Minister of State will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, dated 22 September concerning job vacancies.

Margaret Hodge: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 15 November 2005.

Customer Management Systems

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the operation of the second-generation customer management system in call centres and benefits offices, with particular reference to efficiency in (a) call handling, (b) payment of benefits and (c) interaction with local authority housing benefit claims.

Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Lesley Strathie to Mr. Tim Boswell, dated 21 November 2005
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to reply to your enquiry concerning the operation of the second generation Customer Management System (CMS) in Contact Centres and benefit offices. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	CMS is the IT system that has been implemented to support a number of changes in the way our customers claim Jobcentre Plus benefits. These changes are part of a wider programme of service delivery modernisation in Jobcentre Plus that also includes, for example, greater use of telephone based contact with our customers and the adoption of standard operating processes.
	CMS was first introduced in Livingston in July 2003 and rollout to other sites commenced in October 2003. A second release was introduced on 13 December 2004, which made a number of improvements. This included electronic data transfer of information gathered in CMS directly into the Income Support Computer and Jobseeker's Allowance Payment Systems.
	With any major change, there is often a period of 'settling in' and this has been the case for the introduction of CMS and the new processes that it supports. Initially we encountered some difficulties in terms of speed, capacity and reliability of the system, although, not entirely to do with CMS itself but related to complementary systems that CMS relies upon. A series of technical releases have largely addressed these issues and the computer system itself is now performing as expected.
	As with all IT systems CMS has meant a significant change in the way staff in Jobcentre Plus do their job. They require a good understanding of how the whole process links together, including the importance of gathering information on behalf of Local Authorities (LA) and of getting it right at each stage. To support this we have developed in consultation with practitioners, a toolkit of advice and guidance aimed at all relevant staff and managers designed to explain and reinforce correct practice and allow managers to monitor consistently. Key messages have also been enhanced in the learning and development material being delivered to our staff.
	Despite this programme of improvement work, we know from feedback from LAs that there is further work to be done to ensure that the operation of CMS is successful. The process works best in those LAs where there are effective liaison arrangements between Jobcentre Plus and the LA. Ongoing improvement work is overseen by a joint DWP/Local Authority Association (LAA) steering group. The introduction of CMS Release 3 on 31st October 2005 addressed many of the issues around the amount of clerical documentation associated with the initial releases. The removal of these clerical workarounds through this release will lead to further improvements and will be evaluated by the LAA in early 2006.
	Jobcentre Plus is undergoing a massive change programme and is making considerable investment in improved information technology. However change on this scale does create challenges in maintaining levels of customer service for some parts of the business during this period of transition and transformation. As a result, some customers claiming working age benefits have, of late, experienced difficulties getting through to some of our contact centres. We have put measures in place to address this, including temporary adjustments to streamline business processes in order to maintain customer service whilst we go through this transition period. We have also strengthened recruitment plans supported by robust training programmes.
	Early indications following the process adjustments are encouraging. We have seen week on week improvements in customer service since beginning of September. Whilst we have sought to minimise the impact of these changes for our staff and customers, some disruption has been unavoidable and this may regrettably contribute to delays in processing benefit claims for some customers.
	I hope this is helpful.

Departmental Budget

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the latest estimate is of underspend by his Department (a) in cash terms and (b) as a percentage of departmental budget for financial year 200405.

Anne McGuire: Outturn information for the Department for Work and Pensions was published in the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper 200405 (Cm. 6639).

Disability Living Allowance

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in West Lancashire are in receipt of disability living allowance high rate case component as well as high rate mobility.

Anne McGuire: The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Terry Moran to Rosie Cooper, dated 21 November 2005
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in West Lancashire are in receipt of disability living allowance high rate case component as well as high rate mobility. The Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire MP, promised you a substantive reply from the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service.
	The requested information is in the following table:
	
		Disability living allowance, claimants in West Lancashire Parliamentary Constituency, receiving both higher rate mobility and highest rate care components, as at May 2005 -- Thousand
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Higher components DLA 0.9 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred and are expressed in thousands.
	2. Parliamentary constituencies are allocated using the relevant ONS postcode.
	Source:
	DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study
	I hope this is helpful.

General Medical Service

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Department has made a submission to the General Medical Service contract review.

Margaret Hodge: General practitioners have a key role to play in contributing to the success of the Government's welfare reform agenda. They remain the first point of contact for patients and have a significant influence in helping people with health conditions or disabilities remain in work, or regain fitness for work at the appropriate time.
	The Department for Work and Pensions is working closely with the Department of Health to provide incentives to general practitioners to assist their patients of working age to remain fit for work or regain fitness for work. A submission has been made to include, as one of the requirements in the quality outcomes framework of the GP contract, referral for employment advice of patients with mental health problems whose job would be at risk.

Gershon Review

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions who in the Department has been made responsible for achieving the efficiency objectives set for the Department by the Gershon review.

Anne McGuire: The Secretary of State is responsible for the overall delivery of the Department's efficiency programme.

Income Support (Appeals)

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of time taken by his Department to process requests for appeals of claims for income support awards was in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: The administration of the Appeals Service is a matter for the chief executive of the Appeals Service, Christina Townsend. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Christina Townsend to Mr. Paul Goodman, dated 21 November 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question regarding the average length of time taken by his Department to process requests for appeals of claims for income support awards in the last 12 months for which figures are available.
	The information you have requested is shown in the table.
	
		Income support appeals 200405 by average total clearance duration
		
			  Number of weeks 
		
		
			 Lodged to received 11 
			 Received by Appeals Service to outcome 14 
			 Lodged to outcome 25 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. All figures are subject to change as more up to date data becomes available.
	2. Lodged denotes when an appeal is submitted to the first tier agency. Lodged data only enters the GAPS database when the appeal reaches the Appeals Service.
	3. Duration is derived by calculating the time difference from when an appeal is lodged until when it is cleared. It is represented in weeks, to the nearest whole week.
	4. Year 200405 is represented by all outcomes from April 2004 to March 2005 (including those cases that may have been lodged in an earlier year).
	Source:
	100 per cent. download of the generic appeals processing system
	I am unable to comment on the 11 weeks that it takes on average for an income support appeal to reach the Appeals Service, as this is a matter for the first tier agency preparing the appeal.
	The 14 week figure quoted takes into account the duration from receipt of the appeal until its conclusion and includes those appeals that are adjourned at first hearing upon judicial direction. This, therefore, increases the overall duration and is an issue outside of my remit of responsibility for the Administration of this Service.
	I can also let you know that the Secretary of State set a target for 200405 that the average waiting time for an appeal to be heard from receipt in the Appeals Service should be no more than 11 weeks and we met this target during 200405 for all appeals. specifically for income support appeals, we achieved a 10.3 weeks average waiting time. During this period, the average clearance time for an appeal from receipt in the Appeals Service, including those cases cleared before a tribunal hearing, was 8.89 weeks.
	We are constantly looking at ways in which to improve the level of service that we offer our customers. We are working with the first tier agencies to agree national service agreements in order to establish, amongst other things, a reduced end-to-end clearance target. We are also currently looking at how to improve our customers' overall experience of our Service, including reducing the time they must wait for their appeal to be heard, and we will be capturing customer feedback on this.
	I hope this information is helpful.

Jobcentre Plus

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on progress in meeting the agreed staff headcount reduction targets for the Jobcentre Plus;
	(2)  how many staff are employed by Jobcentre Plus; and how many were employed by Jobcentre offices in the last year of operation.

Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Lesley Strathie to Mr. Tim Boswell
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions regarding Jobcentre Plus staff. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	At the inception of Jobcentre Plus on 1 April 2002 there were 85,880 full time equivalent staff, which included 34,040 staff employed by the Employment Service which was responsible for the delivery of services through Jobcentres. Jobcentre Plus employed 72,831 full time equivalent staff as at 30 September 2005.
	We are making good progress against the staff reduction targets set for us by Ministers, and are on course to meet the March 2008 target of 65,710 full time equivalent staff.
	I hope this is helpful.

Jobcentre Plus

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many assaults there were on the staff of Jobcentre Plus in each of the last three years; and how many of these assaults resulted in successful prosecution.

Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Lesley Strathie to Mr. Tim Boswell, dated 21 November 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning the number of assaults on Jobcentre Plus staff in each of the last three years and how many of these assaults resulted in prosecution. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	In answer to your specific questions we have limited our response to actual physical assaults, although we also data collect on other categories of unacceptable behaviour. The available data on actual physical assaults for the last three years in Jobcentre Plus is provided below. Data is not held on how many of these assaults resulted in successful prosecution, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Calendar year Assaults 
		
		
			 2002 203 
			 2003 235 
			 2004 329 
		
	
	It may be helpful if I explain the background to these figures. Although data indicates there has been a rise in the number of incidents reported in the last 3 years it is not possible to identify any causal relationships. Not only are there significant variables such as staffing levels, types and numbers of offices and methods of service delivery over this period which render year on year comparisons, this period also coincides with a number of initiatives within the Department encouraging staff to report all incidents so that lessons can be learned and appropriate remedial action taken.

Jobcentre Plus

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  which independent consultants were engaged for the Jobcentre Plus Programme procurement review; what reports were commissioned as part of the review; and whether he plans to publish the reports that were commissioned as part of the review;
	(2)  when he expects to publish the findings of the Jobcentre Plus programme procurement review;
	(3)  what the status is of the Jobcentre Plus programme procurement review.

Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the right hon. and learned Member.
	Letter from Lesley Strathie to Sir Malcolm Rifkind, dated 21 November 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions concerning the Jobcentre Plus programme procurement review. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as chief executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The research into Jobcentre Plus programme procurement policy and procedures was commissioned from independent consultants PKF and Rocksharp. Their work was completed in the spring of 2003. The findings were presented to senior managers and formed the basis of the recommendations and actions of the programme procurement review. The review was supported by the Jobcentre Plus board and a steering group which included the DWP Director of Procurement. The findings and recommendations from the reviews were not required or presented in the format of final reports' intended for publication.
	The ongoing work in delivering outstanding recommendations of the review and in developing further changes in support of the efficiency agenda is continuing as part of the wider DWP procurement modernisation programme.
	I hope this is helpful.

Jobseeker's Allowance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the efficiency of the computer system dealing with the processing of claims for jobseeker's allowance.

Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Lesley Strathie to Mr. David Laws, dated 21 November 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning the efficiency of the computer system dealing with the processing of claims for Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA).
	Claims to JSA are processed using two computer systems. The JSA Payments Systems (JSAPS) which was implemented in 1996 is used to process completed claims and make payments of JSA to customers. This system has a very good record of reliability. Since 2003 Jobcentre Plus has been introducing a new process for taking claims for benefit, supported by the Customer Management computer system (CMS).
	Jobcentre Plus is undergoing a massive change programme and is making considerable investment in improved IT. CMS is the first stage of our IT modernisation programme and is being implemented as part of the roll out programme to support the Jobcentre Plus new and repeat claim standard operating model. We started to introduce CMS in October 2003 and we brought in additional enhancements in December 2004 with CMS release 2. CMS Release 2 introduced new functionality to enable electronic data transfer from CMS to legacy benefit systems including JSAPS. Electronic data transfer replaces the need for manual re-keying of information that has already been gathered in CMS as part of the new claims process.
	The modifications introduced by CMS release 2 led to some transitional problems with reliability and speed. These problems have since been addressed through a series of performance releases and CMS and is now delivering as agreed.
	CMS Release 3, which went live on 31 October 2005, has been driven by user feedback and introduced a number of enhancements that make the process easier to follow and reduces the opportunity for error and the subsequent need for re-work. The enhancements to CMS Release 3 have been well received by staff.
	I hope this is helpful.

Kvaerner Pension Fund

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Pension Regulator regarding the Kvaerner pension fund.

Stephen Timms: Ministers have had no discussions with the Pensions Regulator about this case.

Lone Parents

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents have had (a) work-focused interviews every six months, (b) their income support reduced as a sanction for failure to attend a compulsory work-focused interview and (c) their work-focused interview deferred or waived since the sanctioning regime was introduced.

Margaret Hodge: Lone Parents are required to participate in a Work Focused Interview (WFI) when they make a new claim for income support (IS). They are also required to attend a WFI after six months and 12 months on IS and annually thereafter. WFIs for existing IS customers were rolled out from April 2001. Since October 2005, lone parents with a youngest child aged at least 14 have been required to attend a WFI at quarterly intervals.
	There have been 1,981,000 Lone Parent WFIs attended by 1,064,600 lone parents since they were first introduced. The breakdown of these interviews is in the following table.
	
		Customers attending lone parent work focused interviews
		
			 Initial interviews 
			 New and repeat IS claimants Existing claimants Six month review meetings Annual review meetings 
		
		
			 596,000 468,000 214,000 342,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Customers making a new or repeat claim have been required to attend an initial WFI, six month WFI and then annual interviews since April 2002.
	2. Figures are for individuals attending.
	3. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.
	4. During the same period, 57,000 lone parents have been sanctioned for failing to participate in a WFI. Sanctions are lifted immediately once the lone parent participates in the WFI.
	5. 91,100 lone parents have had their WFI deferred at least once and 24,000 have had their WFI waived. Interviews can be deferred or waived if it is not helpful to hold them on the due date. Reasons for deferral can include a recent bereavement, illness, or caring responsibilities. A waiver can be applied in cases of severe disablement or terminal illness.
	Source:
	DWP Disability and Work Division, Jobcentre and New Deal for Lone Parents Evaluation Databases (August 2005)

New Deal

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the current performance of each New Deal programme in respect of (a) the number of job-placements and (b) the cost-effectiveness of each placement.

Margaret Hodge: A total of 1,429,000 people had gained a job through the New Deal programme up to March 2005. The average cost of helping a person into work was 2,047.
	Information on expenditure and the average cost of helping a person into work through each New Deal programme is in the table.
	
		New Dealpeople into work and cost per person into work
		
			  Spend ( million) Number of people gaining a job Average cost per person gaining a job () 
		
		
			 New Deal for Young People 1,699 620,000 2,739 
			 New Deal for 25 plus 800 237,000 3,377 
			 New Deal for 50 Plus 254 140,000 1,813 
			 New Deal for Disabled People 133 61,000 2,180 
			 New Deal for Lone Parents 97 397,000 244 
			 New Deal for Partners 3 4,000 939 
			 Total 2,909 1,429,000 2,047 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Expenditure data exclude administrative costs.
	2. Expenditure figures include programme costs and the costs of allowances paid to participants, apart from the 50 plus element of the working tax credit.
	3. Information is provided to March 2005 as this is the latest available date for confirmed expenditure figures.
	4. Figures for number of people gaining a job are rounded to the nearest thousand.
	5. New Deal expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest million.
	6. New Deal average cost figures are rounded to the nearest pound.
	7. Figures for numbers of people into work on individual New Deal programmes will not sum to the total number of people into work through all the New Deals as some people will have gained a job through more than one New Deal programme.
	Source:
	Department for Work and Pensions Departmental Report
	Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate
	The cost of helping people into work varies across the New Deals as programmes have different client groups and components. People on the mandatory New Deal programmes have generally been claiming jobseeker's allowance for some time, and can require more intensive support to overcome employment barriers than those participating on some of the voluntary New Deals. Costs can also be higher if allowances are paid to participants and employers, and can also be influenced by payments to external providers.
	An investment in helping people into work, including those claiming Incapacity benefit, not only makes an immediate difference to those individuals, but also results in savings to the economy in future benefit payments.

New Deal

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the total number of recorded job entries through the new deal for disabled people, excluding pathways to work pilot areas, (a) returned to incapacity benefits and (b) claimed jobseeker's allowance within (i) one month, (ii) two months, (iii) six months and (iv) 12 months in (A) 200304 and (B) 200405.

Margaret Hodge: The available information is in the table.
	
		Percentage
		
			  200304 200405 
		
		
			 Jobs gained 18,680 32,590 
			 Proportion claiming Jobseekers allowance within period stated 
			 1 month 1 2 
			 2 months 3 3 
			 6 months 7 n/a 
			 12 months 11 n/a 
			 Proportion claiming incapacity benefits within period stated 
			 1 month 3 3 
			 2 months 6 6 
			 6 months 13 n/a 
			 12 months 20 n/a 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The proportion of people claiming a benefit within six months and 12 months for 200405 is not yet available as benefits data is only available up to May 2005.
	2. Incapacity benefits data includes: incapacity benefits including passported incapacity benefit; attendance allowance; severe disability allowance; disability living allowance and income support with a disability premium.
	3. Figures are for jobs gained following registration with a new deal for disabled people job broker, and jobs gained through contact with Jobcentre Plus.
	4. All figures exclude people registering with new deal for disabled people job brokers in the following pathways to work pilot areas: Bridgend, Rhondda, Cynon and Taff; Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, Argyll and Bute; Derbyshire; Essex; Gateshead and South Tyneside; Lancashire East; and Somerset.
	5. Years relate to April 2003 to March 2004, and April 2004 to March 2005.
	6. Information is for jobs gained, not individuals into jobs.
	7. The Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study links benefit and employment information held by the Department for Work and Pensions with employment records held by the Inland Revenue.
	Source:
	Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, DWP

New Deal

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of young people (a) starting and (b) completing the New Deal for Young People have lacked basic skills.

Margaret Hodge: When New Deal for Young People (NDYP) participants attend their first NDYP interview, their personal adviser will consider whether it is appropriate to refer them for a formal basic skills assessment. If a basic skills need is identified during the assessment, NDYP participants can be referred to Basic Skills provision, which will aim to address their skills needs.
	Between April 2001 and July 2005 there were 715,130 starts to New Deal for Young People, of which 86,430 (12 per cent.) subsequently started Basic Skills provision while on the programme 1 . Information is not available prior to April 2001. Information on the number of people lacking basic skills on completion of New Deal for Young People is not collected.
	1 Source: DWP Information Directorate.

Obesity

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect on the economy of sickness absence due to obesity in the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: This Department has not commissioned or evaluated any research on the effect on the economy of sickness absence due to obesity within the last five years.

Outsourced Programmes

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the total value was of outsourced (a) employment and (b) training programmes in London for each year since 2001;
	(2)  what the total value was of outsourced (a) employment and (b) training programmes for each year since 2001.

Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the right hon. and learned Member.
	Letter from Lesley Strathie to Sir Malcolm Rifkind, dated 21 November 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning what the total value was of outsourced employment and training programmes in London for each year since 2001. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The table below details the amounts spent in London on employment and training programmes, both by Jobcentre Plus London Region and by DWP Work, Welfare  Equality Group on Employment Zones and Action teams.
	
		 million
		
			  200102 200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 Employment programmes 67 93 118 141 
			 Training programmes 35 22 26 42 
			 Total programmes 101 115 144 184 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest  million and exclude receipts.
	2. Figures also exclude expenditure under centrally managed budgets.
	3. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
	The amounts shown for training programmes cover work-based learning for adults and basic skills training which have a close employment focus. In the same way, many of our employment programmes have elements of training within them.
	I hope this is helpful.

Pathways to Work

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) of 28 October 2005, Official Report, column 609W, on Pathways to Work, if he will list the destinations other than work of the terminations from incapacity benefit and severe disability allowance; how many of those terminated from incapacity benefit and severe disability allowance took up employment; and how many were in each other category.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 10 November 2005
	The information provided in my previous answer was sourced from Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample data. There are no additional breakdowns available from 5 per cent. sample data to those provided in that answer.
	Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) 100 per cent. data offers the potential to follow benefit claimants who move onto employment schemes or into work. However, we do not expect to be in a position to release WPLS-based figures on benefit leavers into employment until the second half of 2006.
	In the meantime, the annual Destination of Benefit Leavers Survey provides estimates on the proportion of benefit leavers who go to work, education and training, other benefits and so on. The latest published figures from the 2004 survey show that 52 per cent. of incapacity benefit leavers nationally moved into work of 16 hours or more per week.

Pathways to Work

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) existing and (b) new claimants of incapacity benefits (i) were covered by Pathways to Work pilots in (A) October 2003, (B) April 2004 and (C) October 2005 and (ii) he expects to be covered in (1) April 2006 and (2) October 2006.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 10 November 2005
	The information is in the table.
	
		Pathways to Work incapacity benefit totals
		
			  Existing customer case load New customers in month 
		
		
			 October 2003(44)(5508390045) 114,700 2,300 
			 April 2004(45)(5508390046) 251,500 4,800 
			 October 2005(47)(5508390048) 415,100 7,700 
			 April 2006(48)(5508390049) 731,500 13,300 
			 October 2006(48)(5508390049) 853,300 15,000 
		
	
	(44) Jobcentre Plus Districts included: Renfrewshire Inverclyde Argyll and Bute; Bridgend Rhondda Cynon and Taf and Derbyshire
	(45) Data to April and actual. Data after this point are forecast data.
	(46) Jobcentre Plus Districts included: As note 1 plus Essex, Gateshead and South Tyneside, Somerset and East Lancashire.
	(47) Jobcentre Plus Districts included: As note 3 plus Glasgow, Cumbria, Lancashire West and Tees Valley.
	(48) Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	(49) Jobcentre Plus Districts included: As note 4 plus Barnsley Rotherham and Doncaster, City of Sunderland, County Durham, Lanarkshire and East Dumbarton, Liverpool and Wirral, Manchester and Salford and Swansea and West Wales.
	(50) Jobcentre Plus Districts included: As note 6 plus Eastern Valleys, Greater Mersey and Staffordshire.

Pensions

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what provision there is for members of pension schemes to claim ill health pensions from the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) (a) while their scheme is in the assessment period and (b) once it has been accepted into the PPF.

Stephen Timms: While a scheme is in an assessment period trustees may make awards of ill health pensions in accordance with their scheme rules. However, any payments made must not exceed the level of compensation that the PPF would pay.
	The PPF will compensate members entitled to ill health pensions at the 100 per cent. level if the pension was in payment prior to the assessment period or if the application was made before the assessment period and certain legislative conditions are met.
	In all other circumstances, compensation to scheme members who have been awarded an ill health pension is calculated in the same way as compensation to any other scheme member of the same age.
	There are no provisions to enable scheme members to claim ill health pensions from the Pension Protection Fund once the PPF has assumed responsibility for a scheme.
	However, any scheme member may take early payment of their compensation at a capped level of 90 per cent. from age 50, subject to actuarial reduction.

Pensions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the normal retirement age is for members of the local government pension scheme.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	The local government pension scheme has a retirement age of 65, but members can choose to retire without employer consent from age 60, in which case any pension coming into payment may be subject to an actuarial reduction as a result of coming into payment early.

Pensions

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the level of the basic state pension in the United Kingdom is as a percentage of gross domestic product; and what assessment he has made of how this compares with other European Union countries.

Stephen Timms: The figure for the amount spent on state pensions as a whole in the UK as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) is 5.5 per cent. Studies by the European Union's Economic Policy Committee have shown the average figure for the European Union 15 is 10.5 per cent., with the UK's system deemed to be sustainable in the long-term. Such figures do not, of course, take account of non-state provision, which is significantly higher in the UK than in many other member states.
	It should be stressed that the UK's system of support for the elderly is aimed at addressing poverty as well as replacing in-work income. An up-to-date and more indicative comparison is the harmonised expenditure on the elderly as a percentage of GDP. The European Statistical Agency's data published in October 2005 show that the UK spent 11.7 per cent. in 2002 (before the introduction of pension credit and age-related payments), which is at the upper end of the overall range of expenditure in EU member states, of between 3.6 and 14.9 per cent.
	Note:
	The European Union 15 member states at 30 April 2004 comprised: Austria; Belgium; Denmark; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Ireland; Italy; Luxembourg; Netherlands; Portugal; Spain; Sweden; and the UK.
	Sources:
	1. The European Union's Economic Policy Committee study: Budgetary Challenges posed by ageing populations: the impact on public spending on pensions, health and long-term care for the elderly and possible indicators of the long-term sustainability of public finances EPC 2001, EPC/ECFIN/655/01-EN Final. 2. Joint report of the Commission and the Council on adequate and sustainable pensions March 2003. 3. EUROSTAT's (the European Statistical Agency) October 2005 publication, European social policy statistics: Social protectionExpenditure and receipts.

Pensions

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will restore the link between the state pension and average earnings; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: We will continue to administer the state pension in its current form. We will review the pensions system following the publication next week of the second report of the Pensions Commission, in the light of the National Pensions Debate which is under way at present. We are aiming for a broad consensus for reforms to the pensions system.

Pensions

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many approaches have been made by the Pensions Service offering a benefits entitlement check (a) by letter, (b) by telephone, (c) by home visit and (d) in total in each year for which information is available; what follow-up takes place where no reply is received to letters or telephone calls; how many people requested a home visit in each year; what the cost has been of the initiative; and what assessment he has made of the extent of increased access to benefits as a result thereof.

Stephen Timms: The administration of The Pension Service is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Alexis Cleveland. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Andrew Turner, dated 21 November 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning how many approaches have been made by The Pension Service offering a benefits entitlement check (a) by letter (b) by telephone (c) by home visit and (d) in total in each year for which information is available; what follow-up takes place where no reply is received to letters or telephone calls; how many people requested a home visit in each year; what the cost has been of the initiative; and what assessment he has made of the extent of increased access to benefits as a result thereof. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of The Pension Service.
	Since April 2005 The Pension Service has offered a full holistic benefit entitlement check on all visits to customers, as a standard service. Also a specific campaign has been run to contact customers we believe to be highly eligible for additional benefits. Between April and October 2005 The Pension Service made 106,427 approaches by letter, 16,291 by telephone, and 9,039 through visits. As a result of the campaign and routine visits 549,849 customers were offered a benefit entitlement check.
	The initial home visit is arranged either by ringing the customer and agreeing a date and time or by sending out a letter. In the latter instance, a contact number is provided in case the date is not convenient or if the customer chooses not to be visited. If the customer is not in, they are either contacted by phone if a number is available and an appointment rearranged or a further letter is sent out advising the customer of the new appointment. It is standard practice for two attempted visits to be made on different days of the week at different times. Contact details are left with the customer should they choose to take up the benefit entitlement check.
	It is not possible to separate the costs of the full entitlement check from other Local Service activity however, the additional cost of the entitlement campaign from AprilOctober 2005 was 1,088,000. The cumulative value of additional benefit generated over a full year is estimated at 350 million.

Poverty

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were living in poverty in each (a) constituency and (b) local authority area in each of the last 30 years.

Margaret Hodge: Specific information regarding low income for Great Britain is available in Households Below Average Income 1994/952003/04, available in the Library. The threshold of below 60 per cent. contemporary median income is the most commonly used in reporting trends in low income.
	The data source does not allow us to provide robust estimates below regional level. Estimates at a regional level can be provided using data from 199495.
	The number of children in households with low incomes, by Government Office Regions, Scotland and Wales over the period 199495 to 200304, is presented in the following table:
	
		Number of children -- Million
		
			  Three-year rolling averages 
			  199495 to 199697 199596 to 199798 199697 to 199899 199798 to 19992000 199899 to 200001 19992000 to 200102 200001 to 200203 200102 to 200304 
		
		
			 Before housing costs 
			 North East 0.18 0.18 0.18 0.18 0.18 0.15 0.16 0.15 
			 North West and Merseyside 0.41 0.42 0.47 0.47 0.43 0.38 0.36 0.36 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 0.33 0.33 0.34 0.34 0.32 0.30 0.28 0.27 
			 East Midlands 0.21 0.21 0.22 0.21 0.22 0.21 0.22 0.21 
			 West Midlands 0.27 0.33 0.33 0.32 0.31 0.31 0.29 0.29 
			 Eastern 0.25 0.20 0.22 0.21 0.19 0.17 0.15 0.17 
			 London 0.36 0.38 0.39 0.39 0.38 0.37 0.36 0.37 
			 South East 0.27 0.28 0.28 0.27 0.24 0.24 0.22 0.22 
			 South West 0.19 0.20 0.22 0.22 0.20 0.18 0.17 0.17 
			 Wales 0.18 0.19 0.18 0.18 0.18 0.17 0.16 0.15 
			 Scotland 0.30 0.31 0.31 0.29 0.27 0.26 0.25 0.24 
			 After housing costs 
			 North East 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.19 0.19 0.17 
			 North West Merseyside 0.54 0.55 0.58 0.58 0.55 0.51 0.49 0.47 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 0.38 0.39 0.40 0.40 0.38 0.36 0.34 0.34 
			 East Midlands 0.28 0.27 0.27 0.27 0.27 0.26 0.27 0.25 
			 West Midlands 0.34 0.40 0.40 0.39 0.40 0.40 0.39 0.38 
			 Eastern 0.36 0.30 0.32 0.30 0.29 0.28 0.27 0.27 
			 London 0.61 0.64 0.65 0.65 0.64 0.63 0.61 0.60 
			 South East 0.44 0.44 0.43 0.42 0.41 0.41 0.38 0.37 
			 South West 0.31 0.31 0.32 0.32 0.30 0.29 0.27 0.28 
			 Wales 0.23 0.23 0.23 0.23 0.23 0.21 0.20 0.19 
			 Scotland 0.34 0.35 0.34 0.33 0.32 0.32 0.30 0.28 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are provided using a three-year rolled average, as single-year estimates do not provide a robust guide to year on year changes. Hence, figures are not consistent with previously published single-year estimates and there may be differences in changes over time. In circumstances such as a change in trend, rolled-averages will show less variation than single year estimates.
	2. Table shows number of children in millions rounded to the nearest 10 thousand.
	3. In this answer low income is determined for individuals as living in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of the GB median.

Poverty

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) children and (b) pensioners were living in poverty in (i) Brent, (ii) Brent East and (iii) London in (A) 1997 and (B) 2005.

Margaret Hodge: Poverty is about more than low income. It is also about health, housing, education and the quality of the environment. The seventh annual 'Opportunity for all' report, published recently, sets out the Government's strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion and presents information on the indicators used to measure progress against this.
	Specific information regarding low income for Great Britain is available in Households Below Average Income (HBAI) 1994/952003/04, available in the Library. The threshold of below 60 per cent. contemporary median income is the most commonly used in reporting trends in low income.
	The information requested is not available below regional level. Information for numbers in London is presented in the following table.
	
		Children and pensioners living in households in London with less than 60 per cent. of relative median household income 199697 to 199899 and 200102 to 200304
		
			  Three-year rolling averages 
			  199697 to 199899 200102 to 200304 
		
		
			 Before housing costs   
			 Number of children (million) 0.39 0.37 
			 Percentage of children 25 23 
			 Number of pensioners (million) 0.19 0.19 
			 Percentage of all pensioners 19 19 
			
			 After housing costs   
			 Number of children (million) 0.65 0.60 
			 Percentage of children 41 38 
			 Number of pensioners (million) 0.30 0.24 
			 Percentage of all pensioners 30 24 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are provided using a three-year rolled average, as single-year estimates do not provide a robust guide to year on year changes. Hence, figures are not consistent with previously published single-year estimates and there may be differences in changes over time. In circumstances such as a change in trend, rolled-averages will show less variation than single year estimates.
	2. In this answer low income is determined for individuals as living in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of the GB median.
	3. Tables show numbers of children/pensioners in millions rounded to the nearest 10,000, and percentages to the nearest percentage point.

Poverty

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were living in poverty in West Lancashire in each of the last 30 years for which figures are available.

Margaret Hodge: Specific information regarding low income for Great Britain is available in Households Below Average Income 199495 to 200304. The threshold of below 60 per cent. contemporary median income is the most commonly used in reporting trends in low income.
	Information below regional level is not available. Estimates at a regional level can be provided using data from 199495. The available information is in the table.
	
		The number of children and the percentage of children living in households in households with low incomes, for the North West and Merseyside Government Office Regions, over the period 199495 to 200304
		
			  Three year rolling averages 
			  Number of children (in millions) Percentage of children 
		
		
			 Before housing costs  
			 199495 to 199697 0.41 26 
			 199596 to 199798 0.42 26 
			 199697 to 199899 0.47 30 
			 199798 to 19992000 0.47 30 
			 199899 to 200001 0.43 28 
			 19992000 to 200102 0.38 25 
			 200001 to 200203 0.36 23 
			 200102 to 200304 0.36 23 
			
			 After housing costs   
			 199495 to 199697 0.54 34 
			 199596 to 199798 0.55 35 
			 199697 to 199899 0.58 37 
			 199798 to 19992000 0.58 37 
			 199899 to 200001 0.55 35 
			 19992000 to 200102 0.51 33 
			 200001 to 200203 0.49 32 
			 200102 to 200304 0.47 30 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are provided using a three-year rolled average, as single-year estimates do not provide a robust guide to year-on-year changes. Hence, figures are not consistent with previously published single-year estimates and there may be differences in changes over time. In circumstances such as a change in trend, rolled-averages will show less variation than single year estimates.
	2. Table shows number of children in millions rounded to the nearest 10 thousand.
	3. In this answer low income is determined for individuals as living in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of the GB median.
	Source:
	Family Resources Survey

Poverty

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) children, (b) pensioners and (c) working age adults have been living in (i) relative and (ii) absolute poverty in the UK since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Specific information regarding low income for Great Britain is available in Households Below Average Income (HBAI) 1994/952003/04, available in the Library. The threshold of below 60 per cent. contemporary median income is the most commonly used in reporting trends in low income.
	There is no fully consistent low-income time series using a single data source since 1979. The latest time series on a consistent basis is only available from 199495, which is sourced from the Family Resources Survey and covers Great Britain. Previous HBAI results were sourced from the Family Expenditure Survey (FES), which employed a slightly different definition of income and related to the United Kingdom. FES estimates are also presented for GB, for consistency with the FRS.
	The following table gives the number of children living in relative low income and the number in absolute low income for years that estimates are available from 1979. Absolute low income is defined here as living in a household with income below 60 per cent. of 199697 median income held constant in real terms, and relative low income is defined as below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income.
	
		
			  Income below 60 per cent. of 199697 median income held constant in real terms Income below 60 per cent. of relative median income 
			  Before housing costs After housing costs Before housing costs After housing costs 
		
		
			 1979(51) 4.6 5.1 1.7 1.9 
			 1981(51) 5.5 5.8 2.4 2.7 
			 1987(51) 3.9 4.4 2.6 3.1 
			 198889(51) 3.5 3.9 2.9 3.3 
			 199091(51) 3.6 4.3 3.2 3.9 
			 199192(51) 3.8 4.4 3.4 4.1 
			 199293(51) 3.9 4.6 3.5 4.3 
			 199394(51) 3.6 4.4 3.3 4.2 
			 1979(52) 4.4 4.8 1.6 1.8 
			 1981(52) 5.2 5.5 2.2 2.5 
			 1987(52) 3.6 4.2 2.5 3.0 
			 198889(52) 3.3 3.6 2.7 3.1 
			 199091(52) 3.4 4.0 3.0 3.6 
			 199192(52) 3.5 4.2 3.2 3.8 
			 199293(52) 3.7 4.4 3.3 4.1 
			 199394(52) 3.4 4.2 3.1 4.0 
			 199495(53) 3.3 4.3 2.9 4.0 
			 199596(53) 3.2 4.4 2.8 4.0 
			 199697(53) 3.2 4.2 3.2 4.2 
			 199798(53) 3.0 4.0 3.1 4.1 
			 199899(53) 2.8 3.9 3.1 4.1 
			 19992000(53) 2.4 3.6 3.0 4.1 
			 200001(53) 2.0 3.0 2.7 3.8 
			 200102(53) 1.6 2.5 2.6 3.7 
			 200203(53) 1.5 2.2 2.6 3.6 
			 200304(53) 1.4 2.2 2.6 3.5 
		
	
	Sources:
	(51) Family Expenditure Survey (UK).
	(52) Family Expenditure Survey (GB).
	(53) Family Resources Survey (GB).
	The following table gives the proportions of children living in relative low income and the number in absolute low income for years that estimates are available from 1979.
	
		
			  Income below 60 per cent. of 199697 median income held constant in real terms Income below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income 
			  Before housing costs After housing costs Before housing costs After housing costs 
		
		
			 1979(54) 34 37 12 14 
			 1981(54) 40 42 18 20 
			 1987(54) 31 36 21 25 
			 198889(54) 28 31 23 26 
			 199091(54) 29 34 26 31 
			 199192(54) 30 35 27 32 
			 199293(54) 30 36 27 33 
			 199394(54) 27 33 25 32 
			 1979(55) 33 36 12 14 
			 1981(55) 39 42 17 19 
			 1987(55) 31 35 21 25 
			 198889(55) 27 30 23 26 
			 199091(55) 28 33 25 30 
			 199192(55) 29 34 26 31 
			 199293(55) 29 35 26 32 
			 199394(55) 27 33 25 32 
			 199495(56) 26 34 23 31 
			 199596(56) 25 35 22 31 
			 199697(56) 25 33 25 33 
			 199798(56) 24 32 25 32 
			 199899(56) 22 31 24 33 
			 19992000(56) 19 28 23 32 
			 200001(56) 16 23 21 30 
			 200102(56) 12 20 21 30 
			 200203(56) 12 18 21 28 
			 200304(56) 11 17 21 28 
		
	
	Sources:
	(54) Family Expenditure Survey (UK).
	(55) Family Expenditure Survey (GB).
	(56) Family Resources Survey (GB).
	The following table gives the number of pensioners living in relative low income and the number in absolute low income for years that estimates are available from.
	
		
			  Income below 60 per cent. of 199697 median income held constant in real terms Income below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income 
			  Before housing costs After housing costs Before housing costs After housing costs 
		
		
			 1979(57) 5.6 5.5 2.5 2.6 
			 1981(57) 5.4 5.3 1.5 1.9 
			 1987(57) 4.2 4.6 2.4 2.7 
			 198889(57) 4.3 4.5 3.3 3.8 
			 199091(57) 3.9 4.0 3:3 3.6 
			 199192(57) 3.4 3.8 2.9 3.3 
			 199293(57) 3.0 3.6 2.5 3.0 
			 199394(57) 2.5 3.2 2.2 2.8 
			 1979(58) 5.5 5.4 2.4 2.5 
			 1981(58) 5.2 5.1 1.5 1.8 
			 1987(58) 4.1 4.5 2.3 2.6 
			 198889(58) 4.2 4.4 3.2 3.8 
			 199091(58) 3.8 3.9 3.2 3.5 
			 199192(58) 3.3 3.7 2.8 3.2 
			 199293(58) 2.9 3.5 2.4 2.9 
			 199394(58) 2.5 3.1 2.2 2.7 
			 199495(59) 2.5 3.1 2.1 2.7 
			 199596(59) 2.5 3.1 2.2 2.6 
			 199697(59) 2.2 2.8 2.2 2.8 
			 199798(59) 2.2 2.6 2.3 2.7 
			 199899(59) 2.1 2.4 2.4 2.7 
			 19992000(59) 1.9 2.0 2.3 2.6 
			 200001(59) 1.6 1.6 2.2 2.5 
			 200102(59) 1.5 1.2 2.3 2.3 
			 200203(59) 1.2 1.0 2.3 2.3 
			 200304(59) 1.1 0.9 2.2 2.0 
		
	
	Sources:
	(57) Family Expenditure Survey (UK).
	(58) Family Expenditure Survey (GB).
	(59) Family Resources Survey (GB).
	The following table gives the proportions of pensioners living in relative low income and the number in absolute low income for years that estimates are available from.
	
		
			  Income below 60 per cent. of 199697 median income held constant in real terms Income below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income 
			  Before housing costs After housing costs Before housing costs After housing costs 
		
		
			 1979(60) 62 60 28 28 
			 1981(60) 57 55 16 20 
			 1987(60) 43 46 24 27 
			 198889(60) 44 46 33 39 
			 199091(60) 39 40 32 36 
			 199192(60) 33 37 28 32 
			 199293(60) 29 35 24 29 
			 199394(60) 25 31 22 27 
			 1979(61) 62 60 27 28 
			 1981(61) 56 55 16 20 
			 1987(61) 43 46 24 27 
			 198889(61) 44 46 33 39 
			 199091(61) 38 39 32 36 
			 199192(61) 33 36 28 32 
			 199293(61) 29 35 24 29 
			 199394(61) 25 31 22 28 
			 199495(62) 25 31 22 27 
			 199596(62) 26 31 22 26 
			 199697(62) 22 28 22 28 
			 199798(62) 22 26 23 27 
			 199899(62) 21 24 24 27 
			 19992000(62) 18 20 23 26 
			 200001(62) 16 15 22 24 
			 200102(62) 14 12 23 23 
			 200203(62) 12 10 22 22 
			 200304(62) 11 9 21 20 
		
	
	Sources:
	(60) Family Expenditure Survey (UK).
	(61) Family Expenditure Survey (GB).
	(62) Family Resources Survey (GB).
	The following table gives the number of working-age adults living in relative low income and the number in absolute low income for years that estimates are available from.
	
		
			  Income below 60 per cent. of 199697 median income held constant in real terms Income below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income 
			  Before housing costs After housing costs Before housing costs After housing costs 
		
		
			 1979(63) 6 6.7 2.3 2.6 
			 1981(63) 7.1 7.7 2.9 3.5 
			 1987(63) 6.4 7.4 4.3 5.3 
			 198889(63) 5.8 6.5 4.7 5.5 
			 199091(63) 5.6 6.6 4.9 6.0 
			 199192(63) 6.0 7.2 5.4 6.5 
			 199293(63) 6.0 7.4 5.4 6.7 
			 199394(63) 5.5 6.9 5.0 6.5 
			 1979(64) 5.7 6.4 2.2 2.5 
			 1981(64) 6.8 7.3 2.8 3.3 
			 1987(64) 6.1 7.1 4.1 5.1 
			 198889(64) 5.5 6.1 4.4 5.2 
			 199091(64) 5.4 6.3 4.7 5.7 
			 199192(64) 5.7 6.9 5.1 6.2 
			 199293(64) 5.8 7.1 5.1 6.5 
			 199394(64) 5.2 6.7 4.8 6.3 
			 199495(65) 5.3 7.1 4.8 6.5 
			 199596(65) 5.0 7.0 4.5 6.4 
			 199697(65) 4.9 6.8 4.9 6.8 
			 199798(65) 4.6 6.3 4.8 6.4 
			 199899(65) 4.3 6.0 4.7 6.3 
			 19992000(65) 4.0 5.7 4.8 6.5 
			 200001(65) 3.7 5.3 4.7 6.4 
			 200102(65) 3.2 4.6 4.6 6.3 
			 200203(65) 3.2 4.4 4.8 6.4 
			 200304(65) 3.2 4.5 4.8 6.4 
		
	
	Sources:
	(63) Family Expenditure Survey (UK).
	(64) Family Expenditure Survey (GB).
	(65) Family Resources Survey (GB).
	The following table gives the proportions of working-age adults living in relative low income and the number in absolute low income for years that estimates are available from.
	
		
			  Income below 60 per cent. of 199697 median income held constant in real terms Income below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income 
			  Before housing costs After housing costs Before housing costs After housing costs 
		
		
			 1979(66) 19 22 7 8 
			 1981(66) 22 24 9 11 
			 1987(66) 19 22 13 16 
			 198889(66) 17 19 14 16 
			 199091(66) 17 20 15 18 
			 199192(66) 18 21 16 19 
			 199293(66) 18 22 16 20 
			 199394(66) 16 20 15 19 
			 1979(67) 19 21 7 8 
			 1981(67) 22 24 9 11 
			 1987(67) 19 22 13 16 
			 198889(67) 17 19 14 16 
			 199091(67) 16 19 14 17 
			 199192(67) 17 21 15 19 
			 199293(67) 17 21 16 20 
			 199394(67) 16 20 15 19 
			 199495(68) 16 22 14 20 
			 199596(68) 15 21 14 19 
			 199697(68) 15 21 15 21 
			 199798(68) 14 19 15 19 
			 199899(68) 13 18 14 19 
			 19992000(68) 12 17 14 20 
			 200001(68) 11 16 14 19 
			 200102(68) 10 14 14 19 
			 200203(68) 9 13 14 19 
			 200304(68) 9 13 14 19 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Tables show numbers in millions rounded to the nearest 100,000 and percentages rounded to the nearest percentage point.
	2. The reference period for FRS figures is single financial years.
	3. FES figures are single calendar years from 197987, two combined calendar years from 198889 to 199293 and two financial years combined for 199394.
	Sources:
	(66) Family Expenditure Survey (UK).
	(67) Family Expenditure Survey (GB).
	(68) Family Resources Survey (GB).
	Further information showing the proportion and number of individuals living in low income households, including annual levels, can be found in the publication Households Below Average Income 1994/952003/04. This also reports statistics between 1979 and 199596, using the data source and income definitions previously employed for the 'Households Below Average Income' series.

Press Officers

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many press officers (a) are employed in the Department and (b) he expects to be employed in 200607; and what the estimated cost is in each case.

Anne McGuire: The last full year for which figures are available is 200405.
	As at 31 March 2005 19 national press officers and 23 regional press officers were employed at a total cost of 1,533,703.
	The costs are based on average salaries for the year and take into account the number of press officers (excluding vacancies) in post each month.
	As at 11 November 2005 there are no plans to increase the overall number of press officers employed by the Department and therefore the only increase in costs will be the annual increase in salary costs already agreed as part of the 2005 pay settlement.

Rachel Scully

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the retirement pension forecast team has been able to supply Rachel Scully, a constituent of the right hon. Member for Birkenhead, with a forecast of her pension which takes into account (a) her underlying entitlement to carer's allowance and (b) the awarding of credits for her second state pension.

Stephen Timms: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 16 November 2005, Official Report, column 1257W.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Business Rates

Francis Maude: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact of the business rates revaluation on businesses in (a) Horsham, (b) West Sussex and (c) England.

Phil Woolas: The assessment of the impact of revaluation on businesses in England was integral to the setting of the non-domestic rating multiplier for 200506 and the transitional arrangements. This assessment was done at a higher level than that of individual businesses.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Jon Trickett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what training is provided to fire services on identifying injury caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The firefighter job description (rolemap) requires firefighters to receive training in First Aid. This training, which must be delivered by appropriate providers such as St. Johns Ambulance Service, includes information on signs and symptoms of medical condition to ensure appropriate action is taken. Firefighters are also trained to administer treatment to support the stabilisation of a casualty's condition.

Community Right to Buy

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to introduce a community right to buy; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's discussion document, Citizen Engagement and Public Services: Why Neighbourhoods Matter (January 2005), invited a debate about whether the idea of a community right to buy should be pursued, and the debate is ongoing.

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what mechanisms are in place to assess the effectiveness of consultant-led projects in his Department; what sanctions are available to penalise consultants who run unsuccessful projects; how many projects conducted by consultants were assessed as unsuccessful in each year since 2000; and what sanctions were imposed in each case.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has a number of means to monitor the effectiveness of consultant-led projects, including regular progress meetings with the contractor and using the Gateway process to ensure that the aims of projects are met. There have been no incidents when consultant-led projects have been deemed to be unsuccessful and ODPM exercised legal remedies as a result.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, dated 14 July, on the siting of telecommunications equipment on Birmingham city council land.

Yvette Cooper: My noble Friend Baroness Andrews replied to the letter on 16 November.

Council Tax

Adam Holloway: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make further funds available to local authorities to allow them to reduce council tax rates.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz) on the 16 November 2005, Official Report, column 123536W.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the Government plan to re-commence work on council tax revaluation in England.

Phil Woolas: The Government will not take a view on this until we have received Sir Michael Lyons' final report and considered it.

Departmental Contracts (Direct Mail)

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many contracts for direct mail were signed by his Department in (a) 200506 to date and (b) 200405; and what the value was in each case.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

Michael Penning: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff in his Department were (a) civil servants, (b) contractors and (c) other staff in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was established on 29 May 2002.
	The figures for civil servants are available in table C on the civil service statistics, which covers permanent staff numbers, on a full-time equivalent basis in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (its predecessor) and agencies from 1998 and 2004. Civil service statistics 2004 are available in the Library and on the Cabinet Office Statistics website at: http://www.civilservice. gov.uk/management_of_the_civil_service/statistics/civil_ service_statistics/index.asp
	Figures for contractors and other staff are available for ODPM (Central) for 2004 and 2005, are tabled as follows, as headcount. Figures for part (b) includes consultants, and part (c) covers 'other staff' as temporary agency staff.
	
		Headcount
		
			  Contractors Other staff 
		
		
			 2004 110 161 
			 2005 190 130 
		
	
	Source:
	ODPM (Central) HR IS
	There is no centrally collected data for parts (b) and (c) for the Government Offices and the Executive Agencies (Planning Inspectorate, The Fire Service College and Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre).

Designated Growth Areas

Anne Main: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the infrastructure costs for each designated growth area within England; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Government remain strongly committed to the principle that infrastructure must be sufficient to support growth and is an essential element in achieving more sustainable communities. For example, between 199899 and 200203 public spending in the South East and Eastern Regions increased by over 17 per cent. in real terms per head of population.
	The Government's approach is to ensure that infrastructure, including public services, is provided in step with growth, as plans for individual growth locations are developed. The main elements of this approach are ensuring that mainstream funding reflects the needs of growth, maximising the potential for private sector contributions and making available selective additional grant funding to unlock major growth schemes and locations.
	Assessing the infrastructure requirements for particular localities is a complex and lengthy process. It needs to assess the detailed layout of a development as it evolves and to allow for changing approaches to service provision affecting what is needed and when. The Government are encouraging local delivery partners to focus on identifying, prioritising and sourcing investment in their locationsbased on their individual circumstances and priorities, and using a mix of public and private funding. This approach is being taken forward in the Milton Keynes Prospectus and is being developed in other growth location business plans.
	The Government's aim is to provide as much information as it can on likely future levels of support but this needs to be made within the context of the public expenditure cycle.

Disabled Facilities Grant

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to put forward proposals for reform of the Disabled Facilities Grant.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement given to the House on 27 October 2005, Official Report, column 13WS.

Fire Service

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2005, Official Report, column 180W what the average response time was in England in each year.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The available information covers attendance at primary fires. The following table shows the average response time to primary fires attended by all Fire and Rescue Services in England each month during 200405. (Monthly data was requested and provided for the previous question on West Midlands). This is measured in minutes from time of first call to the fire and rescue service to time of arrival at the scene.
	
		Primary fires attended in England: Average response times 200405
		
			 Month Response time (minutes) 
		
		
			 April 6.6 
			 May 6.6 
			 June 6.8 
			 July 6.9 
			 August 7.0 
			 September 6.9 
			 October 6.8 
			 November 6.8 
			 December 6.8 
			 January 6.9 
			 February 7.1 
			 March 7.0 
			 200405 6.9 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures for 200405 are provisional.
	2. Data excludes late calls, heat and smoke damage only incidents.
	Source:
	Fire  Rescue Service FDR1 returns to ODPM.

Fire Service

Edward Balls: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many firefighters serviced (a) West Yorkshire and (b) Normanton constituency (i) in 1997 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of firefighters at West Yorkshire fire and rescue service in 1997 and 2004 is set out as follows:
	
		
			  1997(69) 2004(69) 
		
		
			 Whole-time firefighters 1,739 1,658 
			 Retained duty system firefighters 180 165 
			 Total number of firefighters 1,919 1,823 
		
	
	(69) Information provided refer to work force at 31 March.
	Source:
	ODPM annual returns
	Data on the number of firefighters at the constituency level are not available.

Fire Service

Edward Balls: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what provision for fire safety risk assessment there is in (a) West Yorkshire and (b) Normanton constituency.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been maintaining records of attacks on firefighters since 2004. Since 1 April 2004 there have been reports of 75 attacks on firefighters of the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service but no reports of attacks on firefighters in the Normanton area.
	In common with other Fire and Rescue Authorities, it is the policy of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service that the attending Incident Commander should conduct a dynamic risk assessment. That assessment includes the threat of attack.
	All West Yorkshires fire appliances are equipped with silent witness cameras fitted in the crew cab. This helps to deter acts against crews and provides video evidence to the police in the event of an incident.

Fire Service

Joan Humble: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the likely impact on fire and rescue service average response times in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood of establishing a regional fire control room for the north west region.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects that the establishment of the new national network of control centres will result in response times, under normal operating conditions, which are as good as or better than now. We expect particular improvement however during surges in demand or very large incidents. Currently, it is not possible to assess the impact on response times in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood.

Homelessness

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) homeless children and (b) homeless households with children were in temporary accommodation in each (i) year and (ii) quarter since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: Information reported quarterly by local authorities includes the number of households in temporary accommodation on the last day of the quarter, as arranged by the local authority under homelessness legislation. The number of these households which include dependent children or a pregnant woman has been reported since March 2002, and the number of children or expected children in these households has been reported since June 2004. Available information is summarised in the following table.
	In January 2005 the Government announced in Homes for All their commitment to halve the number of all households in temporary accommodation by 2010.
	
		Households with dependent(70) children in temporary accommodation(71)as arranged by local authorities under homelessness legislation, and the number of children(70), on the last day of each quarter: England
		
			  Households with children or a pregnant woman  Number of children/expected children 
		
		
			 2002   
			 31 March 54,660 n/a 
			 30 June 58,870 n/a 
			 30 September 61,740 n/a 
			 31 December 60,310 n/a 
			
			 2003   
			 31 March 61,510 n/a 
			 30 June 65,040 n/a 
			 30 September 67,260 n/a 
			 31 December 67,540 n/a 
			
			 2004   
			 31 March 70,580 n/a 
			 30 June(72) 71,640 121,590 
			 30 September(72) 72,510 122,530 
			 31 December(72) 72,800 124,630 
			
			 2005   
			 31 March(72) 72,670 125,860 
			 30 June(72) 72,810 124,900 
		
	
	n/a = Denotes data not collected.
	(70) Includes households where an expectant mother is present.
	(71) Households in temporary accommodation arranged by local authorities pending enquiries or after being accepted as homeless under the 1996 Act.
	(72) Provisional data.
	Notes:
	1. Data on households containing dependent children has been collected from March 2002.
	2. Data on children in temporary accommodation has been collected from June 2004.
	Source:
	ODPM P1E Homelessness returns (quarterly).

Hostels Improvement Programme

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the progress of the Hostels Improvement Programme.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is investing 90 million over the next three years through the Hostels Capital Improvement Programme. Underlying the programme is the need to change the very nature of hostels so that they provide better opportunities for people who have experienced homelessness. Hostels will cease to be a place of last resort, but instead will be centres of excellence and choice which positively change lives. The programme is a large undertaking with around 80 projects in 34 local authorities being developed in a partnership between government, councils and the voluntary sector.
	The three year 90 million Hostels Capital Improvement Programme is in its early stages and most projects are at the planning and pre-works stage.

Household Overcrowding

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will publish the consultation paper on the revision of standards for determining levels of household overcrowding; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister remains committed to publishing a consultation paper on the future of the statutory overcrowding standards, and will do so as soon as possible.

Housing

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what changes the Government have made to planning (a) guidance and (b) regulations relating to (i) section 106 agreements and (ii) affordable housing quotas since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) published in July this year Circular 5/05, which provides guidance to local planning authorities in England on the use of section 106 agreements as part of proposed development. This replaced previous guidance set out in DoE Circular 1/97. The Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Amendment) (England) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002 No.828), requires local planning authorities to put details of section 106 and other agreements that relate to planning applications on their planning registers for public inspection.
	Current planning policies, in Planning Policy Guidance note 3: Housing and DETR Circular 6/98, incorporate guidance on the amount of, and the site-size thresholds above which, affordable housing should be sought on application sites. ODPM has not published any regulations relating to planning for affordable housing since 1997.

Housing

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what total receipts were generated from right-to-buy sales in Tamworth in each year since 1980.

Yvette Cooper: The total capital receipts from right-to-buy sales of local authority dwellings in Tamworth in the years from 199697 onwards are in the following table. These figures are net of discounts and are as reported by local authorities.
	
		
			  Tamworth ( million) 
		
		
			 199697 1.4 
			 199798 2.9 
			 199899 2 
			 199900 3.2 
			 200001 2.6 
			 200102 4.2 
			 200203 7.6 
			 200304 10.3 
			 200405 7.1 
		
	
	Source:
	Quarterly PI(A/B) return received from local authorities.
	The information for years prior to 199697 is not centrally available.

Housing

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will break down the number of right-to-buy sales in Tamworth since 1980 by (a) bed-sit, (b) one-bed, (c) two-bed, (d) three-bed and (e) four or more bedrooms.

Yvette Cooper: Information is not held centrally on the numbers of bedrooms of local authority dwellings sold through right-to-buy, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was allocated to council house refits for disabled people in West Lancashire in the last year for which figures are available; and what this represents as a proportion of the total budget for council housing refits.

Yvette Cooper: According to West Lancashire's 2005 Business Plan Annual Monitoring (BPAM) return, over the period 200405 they spent 491,000 on disabled/elderly adaptations within their local authority-owned housing. This represents 9.6 per cent. of their total expenditure on capital works over the same period.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does riot hold expenditure data on disabled adaptations alone.

Housing

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of social rented housing in each local authority in London in each year since 1990 has been (a) bedsit, (b) one-bedroom, (c) two-bedroom, (d) three-bedroom and (e) four-bedroom or more.

Yvette Cooper: The breakdown requested is not available for all years. The information requested has been made available in the Library of the House.

Housing

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of social rented housing in each Government office region in each year since 1990 has been (a) bedsit, (b) one-bedroom, (c) two-bedroom, (d) three-bedroom and (e) four-bedroom or more.

Yvette Cooper: The breakdown requested is not available for all years. The information requested is tabled as follows.
	
		Distribution of social stock for Government office regions by size by year -- Percentage
		
			  Bedsits and one-bedroom Two- bedroom Three-bedroom and over 
		
		
			 1998
			 North East 23.4 36.9 39.7 
			 North West 28.3 30.1 41.6 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 28.4 33.4 38.2 
			 East Midlands 27.3 31.0 41.8 
			 West Midlands 27.1 31.3 41.7 
			 East 29.1 30.8 40.1 
			 London 35.5 34.8 29.7 
			 South East 31.5 30.9 37.7 
			 South West 29.1 34.1 36.8 
			 
			 1999
			 North East 23.6 36.9 39.5 
			 North West 28.5 30.3 41.2 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 28.5 33.5 37.9 
			 East Midlands 27.5 31.2 41.3 
			 West Midlands 27.6 31.3 41.1 
			 East 29.3 30.9 39.8 
			 London 35.6 34.7 29.7 
			 South East 31.5 31.1 37.4 
			 South West 29.2 34.4 36.5 
			 
			 2000
			 North East 23.8 37.0 39.3 
			 North West 28.5 30.5 41.1 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 28.7 33.8 37.6 
			 East Midlands 27.6 31.6 40.8 
			 West Midlands 27.6 31.8 40.6 
			 East 29.7 31.1 39.2 
			 London 35.7 34.6 29.6 
			 South East 31.8 31.2 36.9 
			 South West 29.6 34.5 35.9 
			 
			 2001
			 North East 24.4 36.8 38.8 
			 North West 28.4 30.3 41.3 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 28.9 33.9 37.2 
			 East Midlands 28.0 31.8 40.2 
			 West Midlands 27.9 32.0 40.1 
			 East 29.8 31.4 38.8 
			 London 35.6 34.7 29.6 
			 South East 32.0 31.4 36.6 
			 South West 29.7 34.8 35.4 
			 
			 2002
			 North East 24.1 37.4 38.5 
			 North West 28.6 30.4 41.0 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 29.2 34.0 36.8 
			 East Midlands 28.3 32.2 39.5 
			 West Midlands 28.2 32.1 39.7 
			 East 30.1 31.5 38.4 
			 London 35.6 34.8 29.6 
			 South East 32.1 31.5 36.4 
			 South West 30.0 35.0 35.0 
			 
			 2003
			 North East 24.6 37.5 37.9 
			 North West 28.6 30.7 40.8 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 29.7 34.2 36.2 
			 East Midlands 28.7 32.5 38.8 
			 West Midlands 28.5 32.3 39.2 
			 East 30.1 31.9 38.0 
			 London 35.7 34.7 29.6 
			 South East 32.2 31.7 36.1 
			 South West 30.1 35.2 34.7 
		
	
	
		
			  Bedsit One-bedroom Two-bedroom Three-bedroom Four-bedroom and over 
		
		
			 2004  
			 North East 1.8 24.0 37.4 34.6 2.3 
			 North West 2.0 27.2 31.3 36.5 3.0 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1.9 28.2 34.6 32.9 2.4 
			 East Midlands 2.2 26.9 32.7 36.1 2.1 
			 West Midlands 1.8 27.0 32.6 36.1 2.5 
			 East 3.3 27.0 31.4 35.7 2.5 
			 London 4.9 30.8 34.7 24.9 4.7 
			 South East 4.5 28.1 31.8 33.3 2.3 
			 South West 2.1 28.3 35.1 32.5 1.9 
			   
			 2005  
			 North East 1.6 22.2 38.4 35.5 2.3 
			 North West 1.5 23.6 32.4 39.2 3.2 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1.5 26.7 35.2 34.1 2.6 
			 East Midlands 1.9 25.1 33.1 37.7 2.1 
			 West Midlands 1.6 24.1 35.3 36.1 2.9 
			 East 3.0 24.0 32.0 38.3 2.7 
			 London 4.5 29.7 35.4 25.5 4.8 
			 South East 3.4 24.7 33.5 35.9 2.5 
			 South West 1.8 22.9 37.1 36.0 2.1 
		
	
	Note:
	Numbers may not add to 100 due to rounding
	Sources:
	The Regulatory Statistical Return of the Housing Corporation and the HAR/10
	The unaudited Second Subsidy Claim form from local authorities
	Not all local authorities filled in returns for all years.

Housing

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps the Government are taking to improve conditions for older people living in private rented sector housing.

Yvette Cooper: The Government have introduced a wide range of measures to ensure that elderly people who live in the privately rented sector can enjoy decent homes that are warm and free of hazards. The provisions in the Housing Act 2004 to enable local authorities to assess properties against a range of health and safety criteria will tackle the worst conditionscold, damp, and the risk of falls. These will be reinforced by provisions which require many of the higher risk properties in the sector to be licensed in order to improve management standards.
	In addition, a range of financial assistance and advice is available to improve living conditions in the sector. Local authorities have powers under the Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) Order 2002 to provide assistance either to landlords or tenants for this purpose. The types of assistance on offer are a matter for local discretion.
	The Government policy has also taken steps to increase the number of warm homes that are energy efficient. Private tenants can seek advice from the Energy Saving Trust, and in his recent Budgets my right hon. Friend the Chancellor has provided through the landlords energy saving allowance important tax reliefs to private landlords who invest in energy saving measures such as cavity wall insulation and double glazing.
	The 'Warm Front' scheme tackles fuel poverty among vulnerable households in both the private rented and owner occupied sectors. The scheme provides grants for packages of insulation and heating improvements, including central heating systems, for eligible households. It is available for landlords with tenants on benefits, provided the tenant stays with the landlord for at least two years.

Housing

Tim Farron: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people are on the housing list waiting to be re-housed in Westmorland and Lonsdale.

Yvette Cooper: Information on households (rather than people) is available at local authority and not parliamentary constituency level. Westmorland and Lonsdale is situated within South Lakeland.
	Local authorities in England report the numbers of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. Households looking for transfer within the local authority's stock are not included.
	The number of households on South Lakeland's housing waiting list as at 1 April 2005 was 3,240.

Housing

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total expenditure on (a) intermediate rent, (b) homebuy new build and (c) mixed funded for sale programmes has been, broken down by local authority.

Yvette Cooper: A table detailing the total funding through the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme, including Keyworker Living, for each local authority area last year (200405) has been made available in the Library of the House.

Housing

Gary Streeter: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to enable first-time buyers in the South Hams to buy a home locally.

Yvette Cooper: Recognising the acute need for affordable housing in the South West, the Government have given a 48 per cent. increase in capital funding which is the highest funding increase of all English regionsto the south-west. This will be used to support the new building of affordable homes for rent, and the Government's new Homebuy products which will help first-time buyers into home ownership. Around 42 million over the next two years is intended to be allocated to the districts in the Plymouth housing market area, including South Hams, up from 23.6 million over 200406.

Housing

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether any of the Government's homebuy schemes will be piloted in Milton Keynes.

Yvette Cooper: At the present time it is not possible to say whether any of the Office of The Deputy Prime Minister's new homebuy schemes will be piloted in Milton Keynes. The Housing Corporation are currently considering bids submitted by housing associations and other housing providers for funding the schemes as part of its National Affordable Housing Programme for 200608. Decisions are expected early next year.
	We will also be running a limited number of early social homebuy pilots in advance of the next National Affordable Housing Programme roundhowever, proposals agreed with the Housing Corporation do not include any provision in Milton Keynes.

Local Government Finance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what (a) the average expenditure by (i) county councils and (ii) district councils on the functions for which they are responsible and (b) the average population served by (A) county councils and (B) district councils was in (1) 200203, (2) 200304 and (3) 200405.

Phil Woolas: The average expenditure by county and district councils on the functions for which they are responsible and the average population served by county and district councils in 200203, 200304 and 200405 are as shown in the following table.
	
		
			  200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 County councils average expenditure (000) 606,377 689,035 710,447 
			 County councils average population 679,629 683,938 687,974 
			 
			 District councils average expenditure (000) 12,082 13,837 13,298 
			 District councils average population 97,090 97,705 98,282 
		
	
	The data are as reported by local authorities and are taken from the Revenue Summary (RS) return for 200203 and 200304, and the Revenue Account budget (RA) return for 200405.
	The definition of council expenditure used here is that expenditure funded from Aggregate External Finance (AEF), council tax and authorities' reserves.
	Comparisons across years may not be valid due to changes in the method of reporting the information. In particular, the outturn data for 200203 have been calculated on a non-FRS (Financial Reporting Standard) 17 basis while the outturn data for 200304 have been calculated on an FRS 17 basis. The budget data for 200405 are a mix of FRS 17 and non-FRS 17. This is because the FRS 17 reporting was first introduced in 200405 budget form and, after consultation, local authorities were given the option to complete their form either on a non-FRS 17 basis or on an FRS 17 basis. Hence, figures for different years may not be directly comparable.
	The population figures are the mid-year estimates (ie 30 June) published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Local Government Pensions

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total amount of local government pension liabilities is if calculated using a discount rate based on index linked gilts; and what rate was used for the calculation.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is not held centrally and is a matter for each individual local authority pension fund in the light of its independent actuarial and other professional advice.

Mobile Phone Masts

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 413W, on mobile phone masts, if he will list the meetings his (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants have had with mobile phone mast operators or their representatives since 1 January.

Yvette Cooper: There have been no meetings between Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister or their special advisers and the five mobile network operators, or their representatives since 1 January.
	Officials have met with mobile networks operators or their representatives for briefing on: the findings of the Deloitte and Touche review of the implementation of the operators' Ten Commitments; the MORI PlannersQuantitive Research Over Five Years; and the MORI General PublicPyramid Research. Officials have also held quarterly liaison meetings with the MOA.
	In addition, representatives of the mobile networks operators have attended project meetings for the review of the General Permitted Development Order; the review of the Code of Best Practice for Mobile Phone Network Development; and the research project to identify the future direction of mobile phone and electronic communications network technology.

Pathfinder

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate the Government have made of the average price of a property facing demolition in the Pathfinder areas.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer given on 17 October 2005, Official Report, column 814W.

Planning

Gary Streeter: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether a local authority may advertise planning applications on its website rather than in local newspapers; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Local authorities must advertise planning applications in a local paper when required to by the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995.

Planning

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what were the (a) average, (b) longest and (c) shortest times taken by the Government Office South West (i) to determine whether a planning application referred to it by a local authority required full consideration and (ii) to announce its final decision where a full inquiry was required in each of the last six years.

Yvette Cooper: The information is set out in the following tables 1 and 2. Table 1 includes the percentage of decisions on whether referred cases should be called in for determination by the First Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister completed within the statutory 21 day period. This indicates that in every year the average case has been dealt with in less than three weeks.
	
		Table 1: determination of whether to call-in referred application
		
			  Total number of referrals Longest time to reach decision (weeks) Shortest time to reach decision (days) Percentage decided in 21 days 
		
		
			 2000 151 60 2 88 
			 2001 149 41 3 83 
			 2002 144 39 2 79 
			 2003 174 46 4 77 
			 2004 159 41 2 81 
			 2005(73) 93 32 2 85 
		
	
	(73) To date.
	
		Table 2: determination of called-in applications -- Weeks
		
			  Longest time from call-in to decision Shortest time from call-in to decision Average time from call-in to decision 
		
		
			 2000 74 39 51 
			 2001 51 32 40 
			 2002 47 42 45 
			 2003 72 40 50 
			 2004 50 38 44 
			 2005(74) 72 55 63 
		
	
	(74) To date.

Planning

Peter Law: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to establish a centralised mechanism to collect data on the number of planning permissions granted for housing development on green belt land.

Yvette Cooper: A centralised national database of planning permissions granted or refused by each local planning authority is maintained on a quarterly basis. Aggregate statistics on permissions for housing development are collected but not details of individual applications or their location in each authority, including on green belt land. A special inquiry to local authorities to provide such detail would be an extra burden on them and could not be justified. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently exploring other ways of obtaining information more efficiently through e-planning initiatives.

Property Valuation

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many days' notice a valuation officer must give before visiting a property.

Phil Woolas: Section 26 (2) of the Local Government and Finance Act 1992 states that if exercising his or her power of entry, the valuation officer must give at least three days notice in writing of the proposed exercise of the power.
	The Valuation Office Agency's Charter on Council Tax states that if a valuation officer needs to see inside a taxpayer's property he or she will give seven days notice, wherever possible, contacting the taxpayer to arrange a convenient appointment.

Regional Government

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what information his Department would need to collect to be able to publish figures for the total expenditure of the English regional chambers.

Yvette Cooper: Regional assemblies are voluntary bodies. We do not collect information on regional assembly expenditure. I refer the hon. Member to my answer given on 17 October 2005, Official Report, column 817W, which details grant made by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to regional assemblies between 200102 and 200506

Regional Government

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance he has issued to the regional chambers on their duties under the Human Rights Act 1998; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has not issued any guidance to the regional assemblies on their duties under the Human Rights Act.

Regional Government

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place the interim report commissioned from Arup on regional assemblies in the Library.

Yvette Cooper: Copies of the interim report prepared by Arup on regional assemblies have been placed in the Library of the House.

Staffordshire County Council

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what (a) revenue and (b) capital funding his Department has allocated to Staffordshire county council in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) was established following the Machinery of Government changes on 29 May 2002. The following table sets out payments made to Staffordshire county council since 200203.
	
		All Figures ( million)
		
			  Funding 
			  (a) Revenue (b) Capital 
		
		
			 200203 404.520 0.200 
			 200304 468.167 1.800 
			 200405 486.441 0.506 
			 Total 1359.128 2.506

Town Councils

Anthony Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 9 November 2005, Official Report, columns 49596W, on town councils, what the reason is for the time taken by his office receiving a proposal for the creation of a new town council and his office making orders to implement the proposal.

Phil Woolas: The period referred to in my previous answer of between six and nine months is not a delay, but the period for undertaking the necessary consultative and other processes needed to implement a proposal to create a new town council.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what work the Valuation Office Agency is conducting on matters relating to the valuation of domestic properties.

Phil Woolas: The statutory responsibilities of the Listing Officers employed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to compile and maintain valuation lists for council tax purposes in England continue. For the current (1993) lists this means banding new properties, amending the banding of existing properties and deleting entries from the lists where properties are demolished or converted to non-domestic use. (Amendments to bandings may occur where there are physical changes that would result in a lower band, or where an improvement has been made that would take the property into a higher band and there has been a subsequent sale.) These activities will now be undertaken with the benefit of the newly digitised database of property records, which the VOA will ensure is comprehensive and up to date. This means that the VOA can introduce improved processes for handling data internallyas it will no longer be reliant on paper recordsand can also provide a better service to council tax payers and to billing authorities in relation to the 1993 lists. In particular it will be better placed to deal quickly with enquiries or appeals from tax payers about their current bandings. Additionally, to secure the investment made to date in the automated valuation model technology, the VOA will complete the necessary work to ensure that the model is available for use in all its locations. Although introduced to support the 2007 revaluation, the VOA plans to use the model's capability to support the 1993 lists and also for other valuation work on domestic property which it undertakes within its statutory remit.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Valuation Office Agency has to reduce its staff following his announcement of the delay in the council tax revaluation in England.

Phil Woolas: The Valuation Office Agency has reviewed its staffing need in the light of the postponement of the council tax revaluation. The immediate impact on staffing is that some 420 staff working on casual and fixed term contracts will have left the Agency by 18 November 2005. The Agency is now running an early departure scheme for permanent employees and it is anticipated that some 600 more staff will leave in the period between 30 March 2006 and 30 June 2006. It is anticipated that, coupled with natural wastage, the total reduction will amount to some 1,250 staff.

Wind Farms

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many public inquiries as a result of wind farm development planning applications in the last five years have resulted in the planning application being (a) upheld and (b) recommended for refusal;
	(2)  how many wind farm planning applications have (a) been examined by inspectors at public inquiry and (b) called in; and how many have been (i) approved and (ii) refused in each category.

Yvette Cooper: In the last five years in England, there have been 14 public inquiries held as a result of wind farm development planning applications. All of these were planning appeals and of these, eight resulted in the planning application being allowed and six resulted in a refusal of planning permission. There have been no such planning applications that have been called in during the last five years.

HEALTH

Alcohol Treatment

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the findings of her Department's audit of alcohol treatment and models of care for alcohol misuse.

Caroline Flint: The alcohol needs assessment research project (ANARP) was published on 1 November 2005, this provided valuable data for the programme of improvement. The ANARP confirms that there are 696 treatment services available in England, these results show that there are 43 per cent. more agencies providing alcohol treatment services than previously identified. The models of care for alcohol misusers will be published in December 2005.

Assaults (Ambulance Staff)

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking (a) to reduce the number of assaults on ambulance staff while on duty and (b) to increase the number of prosecutions in cases where assaults have been made on ambulance staff while on duty.

Jane Kennedy: In November 2003 a comprehensive range of measures were introduced by the national health service to tackle the problem of violence against NHS staff, including those that work in the ambulance services. Since that time an estimated 85,000 frontline NHS staff have been trained to prevent and manage violence. This work is supported by advice and guidance from the NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS).
	The number of prosecutions identified involving those who have physically assaulted NHS staff has risen from 51 in 200203 to 759 in 200405. Other initiatives include the introduction of professional skills and expertise at local level through the role of the local security management specialist who is trained to tackle security-related problems such as violence against NHS staff; this is supported by accredited training, advice and guidance from the NHS SMS. A key project of the NHS SMS will be to build strong links locally with the police and Crown Prosecution Service to ensure all cases of assaults are professionally investigated and prosecuted where appropriate. This will be supported by a memorandum of understanding between the NHS and the Association of Chief Police Officers, as well as advice and guidance from the NHS SMS legal protection unit.

Assaults (Ambulance Staff)

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department has taken to disseminate best practice in reducing assaults on ambulance staff while on duty.

Jane Kennedy: In November 2003, a comprehensive range of measures were introduced by the national health service to tackle the problem of violence against NHS staff, including those that work in the ambulance services, supported by the NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS).
	These initiatives include the introduction of the role of the local security management specialist to provide NHS health bodies for the first-time ever with professional skills and expertise locally to tackle security-related problems such as violence against NHS staff. This is supported centrally by accredited training, advice and guidance from the NHS SMS. The NHS security management manual is supplied to trained and accredited local security management specialist and provides best practice guidance on a range of security matters, including tackling violence against staff. A specific training syllabus for the prevention and management of violence is being developed for ambulance personnel and will be launched in 2006.
	The NHS SMS is currently working with the Home Office on a project known as the safer hospitals project. One of the strands of this work is devoted to evaluating how the use of technology and other interventions can be used to better protect ambulance staff. The project is due to report in early 2006.

Attention Deficit Disorder

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines she has issued on the prescription of medicines for adults which are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children; and what research the Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on this matter.

Liam Byrne: The Department has asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to prepare a guideline on the effectiveness of methylphenidate and other pharmacological and psychological interventions in combination or separately for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The guideline should apply to the treatment of children, young people and adults where evidence for treatment effectiveness is available. The Department has not directly commissioned or evaluated research on the prescription of medicines for adults which are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children.

Audiology Services

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking (a) to improve capacity to deliver audiology services and (b) to reduce waiting times for fitting digital hearing aids.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 14 November 2005
	Several initiatives have been introduced to improve capacity to deliver audiology services. These are the national framework contract public private partnership to bring in additional independent sector capacity, the development of a new degree to help to address the shortage of audiologists and the introduction of Hearing Direct which is follow-up care and advice for hearing aid users who would benefit from this.
	The figures on waiting times for digital hearing aids are not collected centrally.

Barnsley Primary Care Trust (Redundancies)

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the likely cost of redundancies for the Barnsley Primary Care Trust in (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the number of posts to be (a) lost and (b) restructured in each health establishment in South Yorkshire for each year from 2005 to 2008, broken down by grade;
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the likely cost of redundancies for health establishments in South Yorkshire in each year from 2005 to 2008.

Liam Byrne: Strategic health authorities were required to provide proposals for local commissioning arrangements to the Department by 15 October. All proposals, including staff implications, will be subject to full local consultation. Once final decisions have been taken, the Department will consider whether there is a need to issue guidance.

Bed Closures

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the net number of bed closures in (a) London and (b) each NHS Trust in London was in 200405, broken down by bed type.

Liam Byrne: The Department does not hold this information in the format requested.

Carbon Management Programme

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department will sign up to the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme.

Caroline Flint: This Department supports and aims to meet the Government's strategy to reduce carbon emissions and improve the energy efficiency of the Government estate. The Department's estate consists mainly of administrative buildings, and we do not consider that the Carbon Trust's programme would be appropriate at this time,
	We will continue to encourage the national health service to work with the Carbon Trust, and to offer best assistance.

Care Homes

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care homes have closed in the Ribble Valley in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: The information is not available in the format requested, as the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) does not collect data by constituency. Nor does CSCI collect information on home closures or the reason for closure. CSCI does however collect information on the number of homes that de-register, although this could be for a variety of reasons including closure or to re-register in another category.

Care Homes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the timetable is for acting on those recommendations in the Office of Fair Trading Care Homes Study with which she has agreed;
	(2)  for what reasons she took a different view from that expressed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection on the Office of Fair Trading's Care Homes study.

Liam Byrne: The Office of Fair Trading's (OFT) report on care homes for older people in the United Kingdom made a number of specific recommendations for central government, the devolved administrations, the regulators, including the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), local councils and care homes. The Government's action plan published on 17 August covers all the recommendations that the OFT directed at central government in England. As the independent inspectorate for all social care services in England, the CSCI responded separately to the OFT report and addressed the specific recommendations directed at them.
	The Government's action plan included the timetable for the intended actions. The plan stated that some issues would be considered in the context of next steps on Independence, Well-being and Choice, which will be set out in the forthcoming White Paper planned to be published at the turn of the year. The Government also committed to consider through the review of the national minimum standards (NMS) and associated regulations the most effective way to address other issues. It intends to issue revised NMS and regulations for consultation in spring 2006, with the intention of implementing changes from April 2007.

Childhood Obesity

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what target date has been set for halting the rise in obesity among children under 11 years; how the target to reduce emergency bed days by 5 per cent. by 2008 will be measured; how the target to offer a personalised care plan for vulnerable adults most at risk is to be measured; and whether the targets to (a) increase life expectancy, (b) reduce mortality rates from heart disease, stroke and related diseases, (c) reduce the inequalities gap in mortality rates from heart disease and (d) reduce mortality rates from cancer by 2010 will be based on average data from 2009 to 2011

Caroline Flint: The Department's public service agreement (PSA) targets and associated technical notes were agreed with Her Majesty's Treasury as part of 2004 spending review and are published on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/08/69/19/04086919.pdf. PSA technical notes contain the measurement details of the targets including target dates, data sources, coverage and references to further relevant technical information.

Continuing Care

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the average time taken was to complete a successful claim for the reimbursement of wrongly charged continuing care in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  what is the timetable for reviewing claims for reimbursement for individuals who have been wrongly charged for continuing care;
	(3)  how many primary health trusts in England have launched advertising campaigns on the reimbursement of erroneous charges for continuing care.

Liam Byrne: Information relating to the average time taken to complete a successful reimbursement claim for national health service continuing care is not collected centrally.
	In England, strategic health authorities are seeking to complete all new cases coming to light within two months of the receipt of all the relevant documents.
	The Department will not set any further deadlines for completing investigations because there are still a number of new cases coming to light it would be inappropriate to imply that there is a cut off date.
	Information relating to the number of primary care trusts in England who have launched advertising campaigns on the review process for reimbursement of continuing care charges is not held centrally.

Delayed Discharges

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many delayed discharges there were in England in each of the last six years for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 14 November 2005
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 24 October 2005, Official Report, column 174W.

Dentistry

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will arrange for UK-based students qualifying for dentistry to undertake a period of employment in the NHS in return for full or partial remittance of fees.

Rosie Winterton: On graduation, almost all newly qualified dentists undertake one year's vocational training in a dental practice with a significant commitment to national health service dentistry. Some primary care trusts (PCTs), in areas where there are shortages of NHS dentists, already offer inducement payments to dentists to undertake their vocational training in their areas. We are encouraging PCTs to build on this experience by considering other innovative methods of attracting dentists to make their careers in the NHS. I will ensure the review team is aware of my hon. Friend's suggestion.

Departmental Energy Consumption

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much energy has been consumed by her Department in each of the last five years; and how much was spent on energy in each year.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is shown in the tables.
	
		Consumption and cost of energy for the Department of Health, including NHS Pensions Agency until April 2004
		
			  200001 200102 200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 Consumption kilowatt-hour (kWh) 
			 Fossil Fuel 6,945,887 5,727,067 6,483,326 6,453,776 5,557,740 
			 Electricity (Brown) 13,564,400 8,206,435 4,176,730 6,630,876 0 
			 Electricity (Green) 0 4,938,628 9,271,000 7,223,000 13,268,795 
			 Total 20,510,287 18,872,130 19,931,056 20,307,652 18,826,535 
			   
			 Cost ()  
			 Fossil Fuel 85,059 89,803 102,213 100,955 114,256 
			 Electricity (Brown) 585,193 387,419 176,720 274,605 0 
			 Electricity (Green) 0 240,200 411,848 353,621 734,316 
			 Total 670,252 717,422 690,781 729,181 848,572 
		
	
	
		Consumption and cost of energy for NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency
		
			  200001 200102 200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 Consumption (kWh)
			 Fossil Fuel 533,229 531,153 474,243 464,910 410,332 
			 Electricity (Brown) 581,116 355,114 0 0 86,254 
			 Electricity (Green) 0 280,332 584,405 479,566 486,639 
			 Total 1,114,345 1,166,599 1,058,648 944,476 983,225 
			   
			 Cost ()  
			 Fossil Fuel 4,555 21,231 11,178 6,915 6,938 
			 Electricity (Brown) 23,591 32,901 0 0 (75) 
			 Electricity (Green) (75) (75) 38,750 30,121 39,404 
			 Total 28,146 54,132 49,928 37,036 46,342 
		
	
	(75) Combined figure

Departmental Estate

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps have been taken in the context of assessment of the environmental impact of her Department to provide a clear description of her Department's estate, including executive agencies, staff numbers, buildings and land management.

Caroline Flint: I understand that this question relates to BREEAM (British Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) and sustainable development.
	The Department reports annually on its progress against the targets contained in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate. The data for 200405 is currently being analysed by independent consultants. It will shortly be published, with a commentary by the Sustainable Development Commission, on the Government's sustainable development website at www.sustainable-development.gov.uk. The data for 200304 is currently available on the website.

Payment by Results

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is taking following the publication of the report by the Audit Commission entitled Early Lessons From Payment By Results.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 7 November 2005
	The Audit Commission's report, Early Lessons from Payment by Results (October 2005), provides useful insight into the experience of those national health service organisations at the forefront of implementing payment by results. Many of the key recommendations from the report are either already being implemented or are being taken forward for subsequent years.
	For example, the Department has consulted on a draft code of conduct, which aims to establish clear expectations on how organisations will conduct business under payment by results and the Department will be finalising the code of conduct for next year.
	In addition, the Department is working with the Audit Commission to develop an assurance framework for payment by results, which will focus on improving data quality and assuring the appropriateness of payments. Tariff changes for 200607 will be announced in due course.

Emergency Bed Service

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the emergency bed service.

Liam Byrne: The emergency bed service, run by the London Ambulance Service, provides a range of information on bed availability to the national health service in the London area.
	The service also provides the NHS nationally with vital information on the availability of intensive care beds via the centrally funded intensive care bed register. This service is available 24 hours a day; seven days a week; 365 days a year.

Funding Criteria

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what criteria were used in setting the funding allocation for (a) Lambeth primary care trust and (b) Dacorum primary care trust for 200506; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what criteria were used in setting the funding allocation to Salford primary care trust for 200506; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Revenue allocations are made directly to primary care trusts (PCTs) on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to determine each PCT's target share of available resources.
	The components of the formula are used to weight each PCTs crude population according to their relative need (age, and additional need) for health care and the unavoidable geographical differences in the cost of providing health care (market forces factor).

GM Crops

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recommendations she made regarding GM MaizeGA21 prior to its submission to the EU regulatory authority.

Caroline Flint: An application for authorisation of products derived from GA21 maize was made to the Dutch authorities in 1998 under the novel foods regulation (EC) No. 258/97. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is the UK Competent Authority under the novel foods regulation and seeks expert advice on the safety of Genetically Modified foods from the independent Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP).
	The dossier on GA21 maize was reviewed by the ACNFP during 2000. They identified certain shortcomings in the available data and its advice formed the basis of the United Kingdom's objection to the initial assessment report from the Dutch Competent Authority. These shortcomings, and questions raised by other member states, were addressed by Monsanto in a supplementary dossier that they provided to the EC Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) for further assessment. The SCF concluded in March 2002 that GA21 maize is as safe as conventional, non-GM maize.
	As the supplementary data and the SCF evaluation answered the ACNFP's initial questions, the FSA has advised Ministers that GA21 maize meets the necessary criteria for authorisation. The UK therefore voted in favour when European Union member states voted on the authorisation of GA21 maize in April and October of this year.

General Practitioners

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered general practitioners there were in the NHS in each year since 1992.

Liam Byrne: The requested information is shown in the table.
	
		All Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)1 for England, 1992 to June 2005
		
			  Number (headcount) 
		
		
			 1992 26,572 
			 1993 26,931 
			 1994 27,290 
			 1995 27,465 
			 1996 27,811 
			 1997 28,046 
			 1998 28,251 
			 1999 28,467 
			 2000 28,593 
			 2001 28,802 
			 2002 29,202 
			 2003 30,358 
			 2004 31,523 
			 June 2005 32,418 
		
	
	(76) General medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) includes contracted GPs, GMS others and PMS others. Prior to September 2004 this group included GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, salaried doctors (para 52 SFA), PMS other, flexible career scheme GPs and GP returners.
	Note:
	Data as at 1 October 199299, 30 September 200004 and 30 June 2005.
	Source:
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

General Practitioners

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs per head of population there have been in (a) Ribble Valley and (b) Lancashire in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 16 November 2005
	The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		General medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(77) per 100,000 head of population, by Government office region, strategic health authority and primary care trust, 19972004England -- Headcount
		
			   1997 1998 
			   All Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(77) Population All Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(77) per100,000 head of population All Practitioners excluding retainers and registrars)(77) Population All Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(77) per100,000 head of population 
		
		
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire 1,086 1,899,842 57.2 1,109 1,901,721 58.3 
			 5CC Blackburn with Darwen PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5HP Blackpool PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5G8 Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 504 Carlisle and District PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5F2 Chorley and South Ribble PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5D5 Eden Valley PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 SHE Fylde PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5G7 Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 500 Morecambe Bay PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5HD Preston PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5D6 West Cumbria PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5F3 West Lancashire PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5HF Wyre PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
		
	
	
		Headcount
		
			   1999 2000 
			   All Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(77) Population All Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(77) per100,000 head of population All Practitioners excluding retainers and registrars)(77) Population All Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(77) per100,000 head of population 
		
		
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire 1,106 1,899,003 58.2 1,105 1,901,743 58.1 
			 5CC Blackburn with Darwen PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5HP Blackpool PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5G8 Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 504 Carlisle and District PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5F2 Chorley and South Ribble PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5D5 Eden Valley PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 SHE Fylde PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5G7 Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 500 Morecambe Bay PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5HD Preston PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5D6 West Cumbria PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5F3 West Lancashire PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
			 5HF Wyre PCT (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) (78) 
		
	
	
		Headcount
		
			   2001 2002 
			   All Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(77) Population All Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(77) per100,000 head of population All Practitioners excluding retainers and registrars)(77) Population All Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(77) per100,000 head of population 
		
		
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire 1,118 1,905,060 58.7 1,145 1,910,378 59.9 
			 5CC Blackburn with Darwen PCT 79 138,453 57.1 91 139,302 65.3 
			 5HP Blackpool PCT 81 142,270 56.9 80 142,177 56.3 
			 5G8 Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale PCT 136 244,445 55.6 129 243,889 52.9 
			 504 Carlisle and District PCT 71 114,092 62.2 72 114,454 62.9 
			 5F2 Chorley and South Ribble PCT 112 204,508 54.8 113 205,756 54.9 
			 5D5 Eden Valley PCT 52 69,167 75.2 56 69,755 80.3 
			 SHE Fylde PCT 39 73,340 53.2 37 74,164 49.9 
			 5G7 Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT 71 124,709 56.9 64 125,498 51.0 
			 500 Morecambe Bay PCT 195 308:406 63.2 199 308,184 64.6 
			 5HD Preston PCT 71 141,211 50.3 85 141,389 60.1 
			 5D6 West Cumbria PCT 89 130,179 68.4 91 130,043 70.0 
			 5F3 West Lancashire PCT 58 108,480 53.5 61 108,718 56.1 
			 5HF Wyre PCT 64 105,800 60.5 67 107,049 62.6 
		
	
	
		Headcount
		
			   2003 2004 
			   All Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(77) Population All Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(77) per100,000 head of population All Practitioners excluding retainers and registrars)(77) Population(79) All Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(77) per100,000 head of population 
		
		
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire 1,169 1,919,041 60.9 1,168 1,929,653 60.5 
			 5CC Blackburn with Darwen PCT 91 139,804 65.1 87 (78) (78) 
			 5HP Blackpool PCT 82 142,429 57.6 81 (78) (78) 
			 5G8 Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale PCT 133 243,755 54.6 134 (78) (78) 
			 504 Carlisle and District PCT 74 115,331 64.2 75 (78) (78) 
			 5F2 Chorley and South Ribble PCT 113 207,072 54.6 119 (78) (78) 
			 5D5 Eden Valley PCT 54 70,550 76.5 56 (78) (78) 
			 SHE Fylde PCT 39 75,026 52.0 40 (78) (78) 
			 5G7 Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT 68 126,613 53.7 64 (78) (78) 
			 500 Morecambe Bay PCT 210 308,746 68.0 213 (78) (78) 
			 5HD Preston PCT 85 141,446 60.1 86 (78) (78) 
			 5D6 West Cumbria PCT 90 130,973 68.7 90 (78) (78) 
			 5F3 West Lancashire PCT 61 108,994 56.0 60 (78) (78) 
			 5HF Wyre PCT 69 108,302 63.7 63 (78) (78) 
		
	
	(77) General medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) includes contracted GPs, QMS others and PMS others. Prior to September 2004 this group included QMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, salaried doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS other, flexible career scheme GPs and GP returners.
	(78) Data not applicable.
	(79) Population data for 2004 PCTs will not be available until November 2005.
	Note:
	Data as at 1 October 199799 and 30 September 200004.
	Source:
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services Statistics 2001 ONS Population Census

Health Services (Leeds)

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what services provided by the Leeds Hospitals Teaching Trust will be transferred to the proposed surgical independent sector treatment centre serving Leeds patients;
	(2)  what maximum income of the proposed surgical independent sector treatment centre serving Leeds patients will be underwritten over the first five years of its existence;
	(3)  when she expects the proposed surgical independent sector treatment centre serving Leeds patients to come into operation.

Liam Byrne: Existing local health services have not been transferred to Eccleshill Treatment Centre. The services offered are additional and patients have a choice about where they attend.
	The issues raised are subject to the outcome of the on-going procurement process.

Healthcare Assistants

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to increase the salaries of healthcare assistants.

Liam Byrne: Many healthcare assistants are benefiting from assimilation to the new Agenda for Change National Health Service pay system under which their pay is based on the knowledge, responsibility, skills and effort required for their job, rather than their historic job title or occupational group. In addition, the department has provided evidence to the Nurses and Other Health Professions Review Body asking them to recommend an increase in pay from next April within prudent financial limits. A copy of this is available on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/12/08/41/04120841.pdf.

Human Rights Act

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if she will make it her policy to make compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998 a condition of registration under the Care Standards Act 2000;
	(2)  if she will make it her policy to require local authorities entering into contracts with care providers to ensure that the recipient of care services has the full protection of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Liam Byrne: Consideration has been given to the application of the Human Rights Act (HRA) 1998 to independent sector bodies carrying out national health service services, and to organisations registered under the Care Standards Act 2000. This is, however, an issue tied into the wider question of the meaning given to public authority in the Human Rights Act 1998 and elsewhere in discrimination law and it will, therefore, be considered in the context of the discrimination law review currently being undertaken by the Government.
	Local authorities are public authorities and are subject to the HRA. Local authorities are expected to take account of the relevant aspects of the HRA in their contracting arrangements, including those with care providers. On the recommendation of the parliamentary joint committee on human rights, guidance was published in March 2005 on contracting for services in the light of the HRA.

Influenza

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how stockpiled supplies of antiviral drugs will be distributed.

Caroline Flint: Primary care trusts will be responsible for developing plans for the distribution of antivirals. We have recently published a framework for the National health service for stockpiling, distributing and using antivirals which is available on our website: www.dh.gov.uk/pandemicflu.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support has been given to research and development of a vaccine against possible pandemic strains of avian influenza in each year since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: The development of a vaccine that will give effective protection against a new strain of influenza virus has to follow the emergence of the strain in humans.
	The Department is currently finalising a strategy that will ensure that its vaccine, anti-viral and diagnosis related research activities are in line with those of other research funders in the United Kingdom, in Europe and in North America. At the same time, the Medical Research Council will hold a workshop in December to identify particular strategic research needs for pandemic influenza. When this consultation process is complete, the Government will be in a position to commission high quality research that is both applicable to the needs of the UK and coordinated with the efforts of other countries.
	The main agencies through which the Government support influenza research are the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The research councils are independent bodies funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Technology.
	MRC expenditure on research on influenza in the years from 199798 is shown in the table.
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 199798 1.21 
			 199899 2.06 
			 19992000 1.49 
			 200001 0.85 
			 200102 1.07 
			 200304 1.38 
			 200405 1.62 
		
	
	The MRC additionally supports a large infections portfolio that includes research aimed at improved treatment through developing new vaccines and drugs, and understanding how infectious organisms evade the body's immune defences and evolve drug resistance. Aspects of this research will be relevant to influenza.
	The BBSRC spent some 2.5 million on influenza research in the years 200105. Earlier information is not available. In the last two years 0.5 million of the total has been spent on research on avian influenza, and has been aimed at understanding the virus and nature of infection.
	The Department funds research to support policy and to provide the evidence needed to underpin quality improvement and service development in the national health service. The Department's national research programme spend on research related to pandemic influenza vaccination in the period from 1997 to 2004 was 417,000.

Influenza

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which categories of (a) healthcare and (b) other key workers will be prioritised during an influenza pandemic to receive a pandemic virus vaccine once it has been developed.

Caroline Flint: Once a vaccine for the pandemic flu strain has been developed, healthcare workers and key workers in other essential services may need to be vaccinated first, as it will be important to maintain health and other essential services during the pandemic. Final decisions regarding prioritisation will be made on the basis of information emerging from the early stages of the pandemic about the virus and those groups most at risk.

Influenza

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on dealing with an influenza pandemic in Wales; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with her National Assembly for Wales Government counterpart on cross-border issues arising from contingency planning for an influenza pandemic.

Caroline Flint: Discussions have not taken place with Welsh colleagues at ministerial level although we have worked closely with Welsh Assembly Government officials in the development of the UK Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan that provides the framework for the overall response to a pandemic.
	We also maintain a continuing dialogue with Assembly officials directly and through other channels such as the Cabinet Office working group on operational arrangements and guidance for the public and health professionals.

Information Technology

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the actual costs against planned expenditure of the patient information systems being built by private companies in the NHS.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 10 November 2005
	Under the terms of the contracts let by NHS Connecting for Health, the agency which is delivering the NHS National Programme for Information Technology, a significant proportion of the risks has been transferred to the supplier. Payment to the supplier depends on system deployment. This incentivises deployment, and payments can be clawed back where subsequent milestones are not met. NHS Connecting for Health has retained extensive rights to terminate contracts for failure to achieve the required performance levels and to receive compensation for missed milestones.

Lichfield Hospital

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2005, Official Report, columns 114647W, on Lichfield hospital, whether a maternity unit will be provided at the new hospital under construction in Lichfield.

Rosie Winterton: Shropshire and Staffordshire strategic health authority reports that the maternity unit currently at the Victoria hospital will transfer to the new hospital in Lichfield.

Literacy and Numeracy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many employees in her Department requested training to improve their (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills in each year since 2002.

Jane Kennedy: The Department does not hold this information.

Literacy and Numeracy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much her Department spent on in-house training on (a) literacy and (b) numeracy (i) in total and (ii) per head in each year since 2002.

Jane Kennedy: This information is not held by the Department

Medical Careers

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to ensure the management of a successful transition to modernising medical careers.

Liam Byrne: All aspects of the implementation of modernising medical careers (MMC) are governed through the following structures. The MMC United Kingdom strategy group, attended by the four UK Chief Medical Officers, sets the strategic direction. Implementation in England is managed through the MMC programme delivery board. Input from a wide range of stakeholders is obtained through the MMC UK advisory board. There is also close working with individual stakeholders to manage different aspects of the process.
	These bodies are currently developing and assessing the structure of specialist and general practitioners training following the successful introduction of foundation programmes in August this year. Their work encompasses career structures and career prospects for junior doctors.

Mental Health

Edward Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what specialist services are available for families affected by mental health problems in (a) Normanton constituency, (b) Wakefield East primary care trust, (c) Wakefield West primary care trust, (d) Wakefield district and (e) West Yorkshire.

Liam Byrne: The specialist services available for families affected by mental health problems within Wakefield and across West Yorkshire are shown in the list.
	Total Services in Wakefield Local Implementation Team by service name, as at September 2005:
	Accident and Emergency Liaison Service
	Acute Liaison Team
	Adult Psychological Therapies
	Airedale Community Mental Health Team
	Approved Social Worker Rota
	Back in Touch Project
	Carers Mental Health Link
	Castle Lodge
	Catering Plus Ltd.
	Community Link Service
	Crisis Resolution Service
	Day Treatment ServiceBaghill House, Pontefract
	Day Treatment ServiceGarden Street, Wakefield
	Direct Impact
	Development Initiative for Voluntary Arts (DIVA)
	EDT
	Fieldhead Befriending Scheme
	Grove House
	Home Based Break Service
	Hyde Park
	Joint Group of Users and Carers
	Mental Health Reference Group
	Mind Matters
	Network 2000
	Newton Lodge
	Open House (Out of Hours Drop-in)
	Out Patients
	Pioneer Project
	Pontefract Assertive Outreach Team
	Pontefract CMHT
	Primary Care Liaison Treatment and Training (PLATT) Service
	Priory Unit
	Psychiatric Liaison Service
	Rethink Carers Group
	Richmond Fellowship Advocacy Service
	Saville Park
	South Kirkby CMHT
	Specialist Psychotherapy Service
	Targeting Your NeedsMental Wellbeing Project
	Thomas Owen House
	Wakefield Assertive Outreach Team
	Wakefield Carer Development Service
	Wakefield District Patient Advice and Liaison Service
	Wakefield District Prison Mental Health In-reach Service
	Wakefield Friendship, Social and Support Group
	Wakefield Mental Health Employment Consortium
	Wakefield North CMHT
	Wakefield Self Help Depression Group
	Wakefield South Community Mental Health Team
	Wakefield Walk-in Centre
	Workstep
	Source:
	Adult Mental Health Service Mapping
	Directory of Services in West Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority 1 : Types of Service available:
	Access and Crisis Services, i.e., Community Mental Health Teams
	Accommodation Services
	Carers' Services
	Clinical Services
	Continuing Care Services
	Day Services
	Home Care Services
	Key Services
	Mental Health Promotion
	Other Services
	Primary Care Services
	Secure Services
	Service Development
	Services for Mentally Ill Offenders
	Support Services
	Therapy Services
	1 West Yorkshire SHA includes Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield Local Implementation Teams.
	Source:
	Adult Mental Health Service Mapping

Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Government plans to use the review of the general practitioners contract to establish incentives for general practitioners to set up a register for those with mental health problems.

Liam Byrne: NHS Employers, on behalf of United Kingdom health Ministers, are responsible for reviewing the General Medical Service contract with the British Medical Association's general practitioners committee. Negotiators have confirmed some changes will be made to the quality and outcomes framework from April 2006, but negotiations are still in progress.

Mental Health

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the 1 billion allocation to mental health services has been directed to mental health services for (a) child and adolescent mental health services and (b) services of those over 60 years of age.

Liam Byrne: The additional investment amounting to 1 billion since the publication of the national service framework for mental health was spent by national health service trusts on mental health services for adults of working age. There has also been additional investment on mental health services for other ages, details of which are shown in the report of the 200405 National Survey of Investment in Mental Health Services which is available on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/52/96/04115296.pdf.

Midwives

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans she has to implement the Independent Midwives Association's NHS community midwifery model; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with (a) officials and (b) independent organisations about the possibility of implementing the NHS community midwifery model.

Liam Byrne: Officials met with the Independent Midwives Association (IMA) on 3 August to discuss their proposal of a national health service community midwifery model. The group agreed that it would be a useful exercise to pilot the IMA model with a small group of independent midwives. The IMA was asked to put together a proposal for this pilot, which could then be discussed with primary care trusts who had expressed an interest in working with the IMA community midwifery model. This pilot is being developed.

Midwives

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the number of extra midwives needed to enable full choice by 2009 in the NHS of where and how women will give birth.

Liam Byrne: The Government's manifesto stated that by 2009, all women will have choice over where and how they have their baby and what pain relief to use.
	The numbers of midwives needed is a matter for local determination, but the number of students entering midwifery training was 2,374 in 200405 compared with 1,652 in 199697 and the vacancy rate for midwives was 1.8 per cent. in 2005 compared with 3.3 per cent. in 2004.

MRSA

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the MRSA rates per thousand patient beds were for acute hospitals with (a) above and (b) below average levels of bed utilisation in each year since 2000.

Jane Kennedy: The information is not available in the requested format.

MRSA

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of a possible relationship between higher rates of bed utilisation and the incidence of MRSA.

Jane Kennedy: As part of its programme to reduce health care associated infections, the Department is working on an internal desk analysis of hospital organisation specialty mix and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This indicates a statistical correlation but bed occupancy is only one of the factors that influences infection rates. The Department acknowledges the importance of assessing the impact of initiatives on the incidence of MRSA.

NHS Ambulance Trusts

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on her plans to re-structure NHS ambulance trusts.

Liam Byrne: The Department published the outcome of a strategic review of the national health service ambulance services on 30 June 2005, Taking Healthcare to the Patient: Transforming NHS Ambulance Services. The review, led by the national ambulance adviser, supported by a group of stakeholders, sets out how ambulance services can be transformed from a service focusing primarily on resuscitation, trauma and acute care towards becoming a mobile health resource for the whole NHStaking healthcare to the patient in the community.
	The review will realise a range of benefits for patients; and staff including:
	Patients will receive improved care, consistently receiving the right response, first time, in time.
	More patients treated in the community, and potentially 1 million fewer unnecessary accident and emergency attendances
	Greater job satisfaction for staff as they use additional knowledge and skills to care for patients
	More effective and efficient use of NHS resources
	Improvements in self care and health promotion.
	In order to realise the vision and the benefits of Taking Healthcare to the Patient-Transforming NHS Ambulance Services, ambulance trusts need to be of a size that enables appropriate investment in people and resources to underpin current and future services and enable the vision set out in the ambulance review to be delivered. We are therefore proposing that there should be fewer, bigger ambulance trusts and will be undertaking public consultation on these proposals this winter. These proposals will ensure resources are targeted to where they are most neededimproving patient care and supporting front-line services. A three-month statutory consultation on the reconfiguration of ambulance trusts is expected to commence early next month.

NHS Expenditure

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the NHS budget was spent on administrative costs in (a) 1975 and (b) 1995; and what estimate she has made of the likely percentage after the full implementation of payment by results.

Liam Byrne: National health service administrative cost expenditure was not collected prior to 199697. Payment by results does not introduce new administrative costs into the NHS but creates incentives for organisations to improve the efficiency of existing administrative functions.

NHS Expenditure

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the spending on the national health service in England (a) in cash terms, (b) adjusted for retail price inflation and (c) adjusted for inflation in NHS costs has been in each year since 1975.

Liam Byrne: The required run of national health service expenditure figures is shown in the table.
	
		NHS total net expenditure: England197576 to 200405 (200405 prices) --  billion
		
			   Net NHS expenditure actual(80) Net NHS expenditure 200405 prices Net NHS expenditure adjusted by HCHS pay and price inflation 
		
		
			 Cash(81) 
			 197576 Outturn 4.413 23.401 22.783 
			 197677 Outturn 5.032 23.529 23.448 
			 197778 Outturn 5.555 22.862 23.918 
			 197879 Outturn 6.273 23.258 23.556 
			 197980 Outturn 7.447 23.635 22.914 
			 198081 Outturn 9.700 26.051 24.051 
			 198182 Outturn 10.854 26.617 26.941 
			 198283 Outturn 11.819 27.070 27.214 
			 198384 Outturn 12.494 27.359 27.227 
			 198485 Outturn 13.407 27.899 27.749 
			 198586 Outturn 14.176 27.984 28.121 
			 198687 Outturn 15.173 29.028 27.993 
			 198788 Outturn 16.668 30.206 29.390 
			 198889 Outturn 18.420 31.198 30.181 
			 198990 Outturn 19.855 31.395 31.635 
			 199091 Outturn 22.326 32.740 32.476 
			 199192 Outturn 25.353 35.063 33.769 
			 199293 Outturn 27.968 37.488 36.182 
			 199394 Outturn 28.942 37.827 37.517 
			 199495 Outturn 30.590 39.376 38.967 
			 199596 Outturn 31.985 40.048 39.703 
			 199697 Outturn 32.997 39.906 40.151 
			 199798 Outturn 34.664 40.718 41.059 
			 199899 Outturn 36.608 41.914 41.387 
			 19992000 Outturn 39.881 44.780 43.648 
			  
			 RB stage one(82)   
			 19992000 Outturn 40.201 45.139  
			 200001 Outturn 43.932 48.691 47.396 
			 200102 Outturn 49.021 53.022 51.856 
			 200203 Outturn 54.042 56.653 56.256 
			  
			 RB stage two(83)(5508390084)   
			 200304 Outturn 63.001 64.339  
			 200405 Outturn 69.710 69.710 69.486 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Expenditure pre 19992000 is on a cash basis.
	2. Expenditure figures from 19992000 to 200203 are on a stage one resource budgeting basis.
	3. Expenditure figures from 200304 to 200405 are on a stage two resource budgeting basis.
	4. The resource budgeting stage two actual net expenditure figures shown for 200304 to 200405 are consistent with the 2005 departmental report.
	5. Figures are not consistent over the period (197172 to 200405), hence no comparisons should be made across different periods.
	6. Table is based on 200405 prices using the gross domestic product deflator series as at 28 September 2005.
	7. Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) pay and price inflation is a weighted aveage of two separate inflation indices, the pay cost index (PCI) and the health service cost indes (HSCI). Up to and including 198485, pay inflation was calculated using the pay settlements. From 198586 the PCI measures pay inflation in the HCHS. The PCI is itself a weighted average of increases in unit staff costs for each of the staff groups within the HCHS sector. Pay cost inflation tends to be higher than pay settlement inflation, because of an element of pay drift within each staff group. Pay drift is the tendency for there to be a gradual shift up the incremental scales, and is additional to settlement inflation.
	8. The HSCI is calculated monthly to measure the price change for each of 41 sub-indices of goods and services purchased by the HCHS. The sub-indices are weighted together according to the proportion of total expenditure which they represent to give the overall HSCI value. The pay cost index and the health service cost index are weighted together according to the proportion of HCHS expenditure on each. This provides an HCHS combined pay and prices inflation figure.

NHS Trusts

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts in England are (a) in deficit and (b) in surplus; and what the aggregate financial position is of all NHS trusts in England.

Liam Byrne: The 200405 audited financial position of all national health service organisations (strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and NHS trusts) is available in the Library. It is also available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/FreedomOfInformation/ClassesOf Information/fs/en
	This information includes those NHS trusts that ended 200405 with an underspend and those NHS trusts that reported an overspend.

NHS Staff (Overseas Recruitment)

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nurses and midwives and (b) doctors have been recruited through bilateral agreements or memoranda of understanding with (i) India, (ii) Indonesia, (iii) the Philippines, (iv) South Africa, and (v) Spain in each year that such agreements and memoranda have been in operation.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 10 November 2005
	We have bilateral agreements or memoranda of understanding with India, Indonesia, Philippines, South Africa and Spain. The numbers of doctors and nurses registering with the General Medical Council (GMC) and Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in each year that such agreements and memoranda have been in operation are shown in tables 1 and 2.
	
		Table 1: Doctors, including specialist registrars, general practitioners and junior doctors registered with the GMC
		
			  Year of registration 
			 Country 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 India n/a 1,892 2,985 3,643 
			 Indonesia n/a 0 0 1 
			 Philippines n/a 8 17 16 
			 South Africa n/a n/a 3,204 4 
			 Spain 88 115 121 107 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Nurses registered with the NMC
		
			  Year of registration 
			 Country 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 India n/a 1,352 2,655 3,709 
			 Indonesia n/a 0 5 1 
			 Philippines n/a 4,361 4,747 2,898 
			 South Africa n/a n/a 1,878 1,202 
			 Spain 374 197 308 220 
		
	
	Note:
	These tables relate to registration and therefore do not identify where the individual was employed or even if the individual secured employment in the United Kingdom.

Nurses

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses per 100 beds there have been in (a) England and (b) the West Suffolk hospital in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting Staff in England and West Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust as at 30 September -- Headcount
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 England 
			 Qualified nurses 300,467 304,563 310,142 316,752 330,535 346,537 364,692 375,371 
			 Number of beds 193,625 190,006 186,290 186,091 184,871 183,826 184,207 181,772 
			 Nurses per 100 beds 155 160 166 170 179 189 198 207 
			  
			 RGRWest Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 Qualified nurses 688 612 719 728 832 860 1,001 1,013 
			 Number of beds 713 673 664 687 679 638 676 631 
			 Nurses per 100 beds 96 91 108 106 123 135 148 161 
		
	
	Note:
	Nurses per 100 bed figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.
	Source:
	Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census Department of Health form KH03

Nutrition

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 24 October 2005, ref 18939, concerning nutrition in care homes, what issues were discussed with the nutritional advisory group.

Liam Byrne: I understand from the Chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that the range of issues the Commission has discussed with the Nutritional Advisory Group for the Elderly (NAGE) is as follows.
	Joint working between CSCI and NAGE.
	Reviewing and updating guidance, on the management of nutrition and dietary care for people in care homes.
	When providers should seek expert advice on the nutritional and dietary needs of the people they care for.
	Arrangements for continued liaison between NAGE, local national health service dieticians and CSCI.

Obesity

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by her Department on advertising the effects obesity has on causing (a) hypertension, (b) diabetes and (c) cardiovascular disease in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: The message that obesity is a major contributor to coronary heart disease, stroke and type two diabetes, is highlighted in the Chief Medical Officer's report At least Five a Week and Choosing Health, the White Paper. Both reports emphasise the importance of healthy eating and participating in regular physical activity in order to remain healthy.
	Reducing obesity is one of the six overarching priorities in the White Paper, which sets out a comprehensive plan of action including curbs on marketing. Current action to tackle obesity includes further restrictions on food promotion to children, the reform of the welfare food scheme into healthy start, the healthy schools programme, the 5 A DAY programme and the school fruit and vegetable scheme.

Obesity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to tackle obesity in (a) children and (b) adults.

Caroline Flint: Reducing obesity is one of the six overarching priorities of the Choosing Health White Paper, published in November 2004. In July 2004, the Government set a public service agreement (PSA) target to halt the year-on-year increase in obesity among children under 11 by 2010 in the context of a broader strategy to tackle obesity in the population as a whole.
	The White Paper delivery plan, Delivering Choosing Health: making healthier choices easier, together with discrete plans focusing on nutrition, Choosing a Better Diet a food and health action plan and physical activity, Choosing Activity: a physical activity action plan published in March 2005 set out how the White Paper commitments will be delivered and how they will contribute to delivery of the obesity target.
	Specific action will include:
	Campaignsto raise awareness;
	Labellingincluding better signposting of food;
	Food Promotion-restrictions on marketing of unhealthy food to children;
	Work with Industryto encourage more healthy processed foods;
	Children and young peopleincluding action on school and physical activity; and
	Action in the national health servicemore effective practical action to manage, prevent and treat obesity.

Patient Choice

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the likely impact on choice and plurality within the NHS of the policy set out in Commissioning a patient-led NHS; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: To give patients choice, especially in areas of significant health inequalities, we need to encourage innovation and new models of provision and commission services from providers who can prove to be more responsive to patients' needs and expectations. By strengthening the commissioning function of primary care trusts (PCTs) through Commissioning a patient-led NHS, we are further enabling them to achieve these important aims.
	Any proposed changes to the local provision of primary and community healthcare services will be subject to full local consultation and be based on PCT decisions taken locally.

Pennine Acute Hospital Trust

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her estimate is of (a) the cost of implementation and (b) the capital investment required for each of the five options for the Pennine Acute Hospital Trust under the Healthy Futures Site Options reconfiguration exercise.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 14 November 2005
	The cost of implementation and the capital investment required for the three (not five) options of the reconfiguration of health services in the North East sector of Greater Manchester, known as healthy futures, is not yet available. Full details of the costs of all the options, capital and revenue, are due to be published in the formal consultation document which is due to be issued on 7 December and will be made available on the website at: www.bestforhealth.nhs.uk

Pennine Acute Hospital Trust

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the future capital investment programme is for the Pennine Acute Hospital Trust;
	(2)  what capital investment has taken place since 1997 in each of the hospitals that make up the Pennine Acute Hospital Trust.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 14 November 2005
	This is a matter for the Pennine Acute Hospital Trust. The information requested can be obtained from the trust and the Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority.

Pennine Acute Hospital Trust

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what income has been obtained from the sale of surplus land and property in the hospitals that make up the Pennine Acute Hospital Trust since 1997.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 14 November 2005
	The information requested is not held centrally.

Policy Development

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) focus groups and (b) other public consultation meetings to help develop and refine policy on health her Department has commissioned in the last year; what the cost was of each; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department is committed to consulting and involving the public so as to help develop and refine policy. Focus groups and other public consultation meetings are used when these represent an economical, efficient and effective means to achieve this end.

School Nurses

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate her Department has made of the optimum number of school nurses in England;
	(2)  how many school nurses are practising;
	(3)  how many school nurses work (a) part time and (b) full time;
	(4)  in how many schools on average each (a) full-time and (b) part-time school nurse practises;
	(5)  how many school nurses have been in practice in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: The majority of school nurses are currently employed and managed by the local national health service primary care trust (PCT). They were counted fully for the first time in the September 2004 NHS workforce census, which showed that there were 2,409 qualified nurses working in school nursing, of whom 856 were qualified school nurses. The next count will be available from the September 2005 census. Information on numbers of school nurses employed in the NHS working part time and full time is shown in the table.
	We are providing new funding so that by 2010 every PCT, working with children's trusts and local authorities, will be resourced to have at least one full-time, year-round, qualified school nurse working with each cluster or group of primary schools and the related secondary school, taking account of health needs and school populations.
	Information is not collected centrally on the number of schools in which each school nurse practises.
	
		NHS hospital and community health services: qualified nurses working in school nursing by nature of contract in England by headcount as at 30 September 2004 -- headcount
		
			  Total Full time Part time Bank 
		
		
			 Qualified nurses working in  school nursing 2,409 313 2,058 38 
			 of which Qualified school nurses 856 151 695 10 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census 2004

Smoking

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what model was used to determine the costs and benefits of options one to four for banning smoking in enclosed public places contained within the partial regulatory impact assessment on the smoke free aspect of the Health Bill.

Caroline Flint: Paragraph 28 of the partial regulatory impact assessment sets out details of the methodology followed for assessing the costs and benefits, which are discussed in more detail in the published economic paper, Smoke free public places-a report to the Chief Medical Officer is available on the Department's website:
	www.dh.gov.uk/asset/Root/04/10/27/66/04102766.pdf.
	A copy of the paper is available in the Library.

Social Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to develop a national tariff for social care services.

Liam Byrne: Payment by results (PbR) is being implemented to regulate the way money flows around the national health service; to provide the right balance of incentives to reward good performance, to support sustainable reductions in waiting times for patients, and to make the best use of available capacity. We currently have no plans to substitute PbR for the Best Value regime that governs local authority contracting.

Social Services

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what legal powers local authority social services departments establish panels of elected members to make decisions about the funding of care packages and placements.

Liam Byrne: It is for each local authority to organise its decision-making processes as it thinks best in accordance with the procedures for local government decision making laid down in local government legislation.
	Where a local authority has in place executive arrangements, any function, which is the responsibility of the executive, must be discharged in accordance with sections 14, 15 or 16 of the Local Government Act 2000, depending on the type of executive arrangements in place, and regulations made under section 18 to 20 of the Local Government Act 2000.
	Section 101 of the Local Government Act 1972, allows a local authority to arrange for the discharge of any of their functions, which are the responsibility of the full council by a committee, sub-committee or officer of the authority.

Tamiflu

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department is involved in negotiations with Roche to speed up manufacturing of Tamiflu; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Officials have been in regular contact with Roche and the company has recently agreed to bring forward the delivery date from December 2006 to September 2006. We will continue to work very closely with them over the course of the deliveries.

Travel Costs

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the additional cost of claims under the hospital travel costs scheme arising from her patient choice policy; and whether relatives will be able to claim under the scheme for long distance visits to patients in hospital.

Rosie Winterton: The hospital travel cost scheme is a statutory scheme for people on low incomes. The Department does not collect information on the cost of the scheme.
	Visitors are not eligible for assistance under the scheme.

Velcade

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the progress of the fast track referral to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence of velcade for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Jane Kennedy: Velcade for multiple myeloma was referred to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on 20 July 2005. Velcade will be one of the first drugs to be appraised using NICE'S new Single Technology Appraisal process, which will allow guidance to be issued shortly after any licence is granted.

Veterans (Noise-induced Hearing Loss)

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what medical and scientific research her Department has commissioned to support the use of 50 decibels as the threshold for veterans claiming compensation for noise-induced hearing loss as a result of their military service; and if she will re-assess this threshold.

Don Touhig: I have been asked to reply.
	Neither the Ministry of Defence, which is responsible for veterans' matters, nor the former Department of Social Security, which was responsible for the War Pensions Scheme until 2001 and remains responsible for the related civilian Industrial Injuries Scheme, have commissioned medical or scientific research on this issue. However, the Government's approach to noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss assessment is based on contemporary scientific evidence and understanding. This has been confirmed in recent years by several reviews carried out by independent audiological experts including an Industrial Injuries Advisory Council review which confirmed the appropriateness of the threshold in November 2002. Any change to our approach would need to result from further medical and scientific evidence.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Air Weapons

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of violence involving the use of air weapons there were in West Lancashire in the last year for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: Lancashire police recorded 23 violent offences involving the use of air weapons during 200304. The corresponding figure for West Lancashire is not available centrally.

Antisocial Behaviour

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2005, Official Report, column 1103W, on antisocial behaviour, what the role is of the head of the antisocial behaviour unit in implementing the policies set out in the answer; and what the reasons were for the time taken to reply to the question.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 16 November 2005
	The Government's Co-ordinator for Respect (formerly National Director of the antisocial behaviour unit), is responsible for driving forward the Government's Respect agenda including: supporting the work on neighbourhood policing, police reform and alcohol and violent crime strategies. An action plan setting out our plans will be published by the turn of the year.
	Unfortunately, performance data in respect of your Parliamentary Questions (PQs) is not available. I am sorry you did not receive a more prompt reply to your question. Ministers and officials make every effort to answer questions substantively in accordance with performance guidelines. However this is not always possible. I have asked those responsible for oversight of the Department's PQs to look at how we can improve our performance.

Antisocial Behaviour

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in West Lancashire in each year since they were introduced.

Hazel Blears: A table giving a breakdown by the local government authority area in which prohibitions are imposed within antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) is available on the Crime Reduction website at www.crimereduction.gov.uk. This table gives data by year since ASBOs were introduced.

Anti-terrorism Legislation

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) detained and (b) arrested under powers in anti-terrorism legislation and subsequently (i) released without charge or (ii) not charged with an offence relating to terrorism in (A) each of the five years up to the end of 2004 and (B) in the first nine months of this year.

Charles Clarke: Section 45(4) of the Terrorism Act 2000 confers the power to detain a person only for the amount of time reasonably required to conduct a search authorised by virtue of section 44 of the Act. Records for stops and searches carried out under these powers and subsequent arrests under anti-terrorism legislation are shown in the following table.
	No information is collated centrally on the charges arising from these particular arrests subsequent to the use of stop and search powers.
	Total stops and searches under section 44 for the financial year 200405 will be published in December this year. Data for the financial year 200506 will be published in December 2006.
	Detention under anti-terrorism legislation is also provided for following an arrest under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Figures available show that between 11 September 2001 and 30 September 2005, 895 people were arrested under this power. Of these, 138 were charged with offences under the Terrorism Act. The remainder were either released without charge or dealt with under other legislation.
	
		
			  Stops and searches Arrests 
		
		
			 19992000 (80)1,900 1 
			 200001 (81)6,400 1 
			 200102 (82)10,200 20 
			 200203 (82)32,100 18 
			 200304 (82)33,800 19 
		
	
	(80) Conducted under sections 13A and 13B of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989, which preceded powers under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
	(81) Conducted under 13A and 13B of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989, and section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
	(82) Under section 44.

Arrestee Survey

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the findings of the Arrestee Survey referred to on page 102 of the 2005 Departmental Report.

Paul Goggins: The findings of the Arrestee Survey are not yet available. The results from the first year of the survey will be published shortly and will be made available on the Home Office website and a copy placed in the Library.

Arrestee Survey

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been allocated to fund antisocial behaviour orders in West Lancashire in 2005.

Hazel Blears: We do not allocate any funding for antisocial behaviour orders. (ASBOs) are obtained from courts on application from local agencies and it is the responsibility of these agencies, in accordance with partnership working arrangements, to meet any associated costs.

Asylum and Immigration

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Department has to re-evaluate the cost-effectiveness of legal assistance for asylum seekers.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	The arrangements for providing publicly funded legal services for asylum seekers are subject to monitoring and review to ensure that they remain effective and provide value for money for the taxpayer.
	Review and evaluation work is being undertaken currently on the reforms of legal aid introduced in April 2004, on the Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme introduced as part of the April 2004 reforms, and on the arrangements for the review and reconsideration of appeal decisions made by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal that were introduced in April 2005.

Asylum and Immigration

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure that decisions to detain asylum seekers (a) are automatically and regularly reviewed as to lawfulness, necessity and appropriateness by a court or similar independent body and (b) are accompanied by the provision of legal aid; and if he will ensure that alternative non-custodial measures are considered before resorting to detention.

Tony McNulty: Immigration detention is used sparingly and for the shortest period necessary. In all cases all reasonable alternatives to detention must be considered before detention is authorised.
	All detention is subject to administrative review at regular intervals. Further, we are satisfied that access to judicial review and habeas corpus provide sufficient means by which the lawfulness of detention may be challenged.
	Measures to bring asylum legal aid under effective control and to cut unnecessary expenditure were implemented by the Government in April 2004. These new measures were introduced to ensure that funding is concentrated only on meritorious cases, to improve the control of costs and to introduce a system of quality assurance for suppliers of immigration legal advice.

Asylum and Immigration

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek a statutory prohibition on the detention of (a) vulnerable and (b) ill asylum seekers.

Tony McNulty: It is already the case that certain persons are normally considered suitable for detention in only exceptional circumstances. Elderly persons, pregnant women, those suffering from serious medical conditions or who are otherwise mentally ill and those where there is independent evidence to show that they have been tortured would be included among those persons who would usually be considered unsuitable for detention. Detaining officers will always consider on a case by case basis whether detention is appropriate in any particular case. There is health care provision at all removal centres and the needs of detainees who require medical attention are addressed.

Asylum and Immigration

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Libyan asylum seekers are in the United Kingdom.

Tony McNulty: Information on the total number of Libyan asylum seekers currently in the UK is not available. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Some applicants may leave the United Kingdom without informing the Immigration Service.
	E-borders and ID cards will enable us to monitor this more precisely in the future.

Asylum and Immigration

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he collects on the treatment in their country of origin of failed asylum seekers who were Christian converts from Islam and are returned to Islamic countries; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office collects information from a wide range of sources about conditions in the countries of origin of asylum seekers. This country of origin information (COI) focuses on the main issues raised in asylum and human rights applications. Where relevant, the COI regarding Islamic countries covers the treatment and legal position of failed asylum seekers, Christians and converts to Christianity. We do not routinely monitor the treatment of individuals once removed from the UK. But any specific allegations of ill-treatment of returned failed asylum seekers are followed up through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and with those Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operating within the country concerned.

Asylum and Immigration

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers are awaiting deportation.

Tony McNulty: This information is not available.
	Published statistics on immigration and asylum issues are available on the Home Office's Research Development and Statistics website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Asylum and Immigration

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants have been caught trying to enter the UK through Tilbury Docks in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: In recent times there have been no recorded clandestine arrivals at Tilbury, other than stowaways. The last clandestine arrival recorded was in 2003.
	Between 1996 and 2003 there have been on average 45 cases per year, where passengers have been subject to further examination on board vessels at Tilbury. Cases have decreased to an average of 10 per year in 2004 and 2005, as a result of increased security.

Asylum and Immigration

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures the Government are taking to regulate immigration.

Tony McNulty: We have already made significant improvements to the regulation of immigration to the United Kingdom by:
	expanding our juxtaposed controls, (the establishment of frontier control zones in key locations overseas to enable UK Immigration Officers to consider and decide the admissibility of passengers prior to embarkation for the UK);
	the deployment of new detection technology at Continental ports; and
	the expansion of our airline liaison network overseas.
	These measures have had a significant impact both on deterring illegal immigration and reducing asylum intake.
	In our five-year strategy we announced our intention to further improve border controls through initiatives such as a further expansion of the airline liaison network and the introduction of iris biometric automated gates at our major ports. Also, all visa applicants will be fingerprinted by 2008, and pre boarding checks of all persons entering and leaving the UK will be introduced through the e-borders programme. e-Borders will also deliver timely data, information, intelligence and risk assessments to relevant Government agencies on all passengers seeking to enter or leave the UK.
	The five-year strategy also proposed that a point-based system should be introduced to facilitate migration beneficial to the UK economy while helping to maintain the protection and security of the public through:
	being clearer and more transparent and easier for applicants, employers and educational institutions to understand and use objective and easily verifiable criteria;
	allowing applicants to self-assess online to decide whether they have enough points to make an application;
	supporting our ongoing efforts to tackle abuse, so that the public and genuine migrants can have confidence in the immigration system;
	developing the principle that those who benefit from migration should help us maintain its integrity through the introduction of sponsorship as integral to the workings of the new system.

Cannabis

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the prevalence of cannabis use by (a) adults and (b) minors in England in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: Estimates of cannabis use among the adult population in England and Wales are available from the British crime survey, which has included a consistent self completion module of questions on illicit drug use since 1996. The figures for cannabis use since 1996 are shown in the table. The latest published figures for 200405 show cannabis use in the last year was reported by 9.7 per cent. of 16 to 59-year-olds, a statistically significant decrease compared with the previous year. Estimates of drug use among minors are available from the survey of smoking, drinking and drug use among secondary schoolchildren in England. Comparable estimates of drug use are available from 2001 to 2004. The level of cannabis use in the last year among the 11 to 15-year-olds in this survey remained stable at 13 per cent. between 2001 and 2003 before declining to 11 per cent. in 2004.
	
		16 to 59-year-olds reporting cannabis use in the year before interview from the British crime survey
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 1996 9.5 
			 1998 10.3 
			 2000 10.5 
			 200102 10.6 
			 200203 10.9 
			 200304 10.8 
			 200405 9.7

Chief Constables

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on the replacement of retiring police chief constables.

Hazel Blears: The general policy for the replacement of retiring police chief constables is in line with section four of the Home Office guidance on the appointment process of chief police officers (available on the Home Office Police website at http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/trainingandcareerdevelopment/index.html/chiefofficer recruit.html/) and section 11 Police Act 1996.
	In his capacity as chair of the Senior Appointments Panel (a tri-partite body which advises me in the exercise of my role in approving chief police officer appointments) Sir Ronnie Flanagan, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary, recently wrote to police authorities addressing the implications of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary's 'Closing the Gap' report on the current structure of policing. The letter presented the panel's view that, except where specific approval had already been granted, the common sense approach would be to advise police authorities not to proceed with existing or future plans to recruit new chief constables and accordingly sought their support in maintaining a consistent approach in these exceptional circumstances. I am placing a copy of this letter in the Library.

Child Deaths in Custody

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce the number of child deaths in custody.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office and the Youth Justice Board (YJB) are working closely together to prevent the deaths of young people held in their care. The YJB has funded a dedicated juvenile outreach team to assist juvenile establishments further develop and maintain their local suicide and self-harm prevention strategies. Nationally, there is a specific suicide prevention strategy for juvenile prisoners. This focuses on promotion of peer support through insider schemes; counselling, support groups and specialised psychological intervention for those who self-harm; vulnerability recognition; and child protection training. We continue to learn lessons from previous incidents to inform our strategies for the future. Suicide prevention work is also increasingly linked with the wider Safeguards Development Programme, as part of which safeguards managers and local authority social workers have been appointed at juvenile establishments, and there has been a programme of minor works across establishments to improve provision of safer and reduced risk accommodation and other built-environment improvements.

Child Offenders

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce the use of penal custody for child offenders.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Government firmly believe that young people should only be sent to custody as a last resort. We have made available to the courts strong community penalties, with more young offenders being intensively supervised in the community to help reduce re-offending. The Youth Justice Board is also committed to lowering the number of young people in custody and has a target to reduce the population of those remanded and sentenced to secure facilities by 10 per cent. by March 2008.

Child Offenders

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children in West Lancashire under the age of 10 years would have been charged in the last 12 months if they had been over the age of criminality when they committed their misdemeanour.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Chinese Official Visit

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the policing of the protest during the official Chinese visit in October 1999 in preparation for the forthcoming state visit of the Chinese Premier; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The policing of the state visits is an operational matter for the Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis. He has confirmed that the Metropolitan police facilitated lawful assembly and legitimate protest during the state visit of the President of China from 8 to 10 November 2005.

Community Service

Ian Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many community-based projects for offenders sentenced to community service there are in Surrey.

Fiona Mactaggart: There are 249 probation supervised community-based projects for offenders sentenced to Unpaid Work in the Surrey Probation Area

Community Service

Ian Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-completed community-based sentences there were in the last period for which figures are available.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information on the completion rates for the main types of community sentence, for each year since 1993, can be found in table 5.1 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin: Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2003, a copy of which can be found in the Library.

Correspondence

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 6 July from the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Home Office reference M16069/5; IND reference K1195526) about the immigration status of Mrs. Y.B.K. of Aylesbury.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 7 November 2005
	I wrote to the hon. Member on 3 November.

Correspondence

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 20 July from the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Home Office reference M17814/5 and P400744) about the immigration and asylum status of Mr. J. P. of Aylesbury.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 7 November 2005
	I wrote to the hon. Member on 3 November.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter dated 5 July 2005 from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood on behalf of Babo Yoro Ho ref Y1000875/B572069.

Tony McNulty: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) wrote to my right hon. Friend on 14 November 2005.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, dated 25 May, and acknowledged on 8 June, ref B10929/5, on behalf of Thabiso Tshuma T1052684.

Tony McNulty: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) wrote to my right hon. Friend on 14 November 2005.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister of State for Immigration, Citizenship and Nationality will reply to the letters dated 18 July 2005, acknowledgement ref B16662/5, and 21 September 2005, not yet acknowledged, from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood on behalf of Wajid Hussein H1105609.

Tony McNulty: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) wrote to my right hon. Friend on 14 November 2005.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter dated 5 October from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. Oluyomi Akinola.

Charles Clarke: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 15 November 2005.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, of (a) 7 April 2005 on behalf of Honya Sharif, daughter of Nask Omar Abdulla (Home Office reference S1165302) and (b) 20 June 2005 on behalf of Idel Austin (Home Office reference C1016519).

Tony McNulty: The information is as follows:
	(a) The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my right hon. Friend on 27 September 2005 in response to my right hon. Friend's letter of 6 September 2005 regarding Honya Sharif. I am sorry that my right hon. Friend did not receive a reply to her letter of 7 April 2005.
	(b) The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my right hon. Friend on 16 November 2005.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, of (a) 24 January 2005 on behalf of Rose Kalunga Nyota (Home Office reference number N1072499), (b) 5 July 2005 on behalf of Antelia Barrow (Home Office reference M1136710/M136710, correspondence ref B15228/5) and (c) 19 July 2005 on behalf of Matoko Matoko (Home office reference M1169837, correspondence reference B16758/5).

Tony McNulty: The information is as follows:
	(a) The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my right hon. Friend on 18 April 2005.
	(b) The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my right hon. Friend on 16 November 2005.
	(c) The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my right hon. Friend on 16 November 2005.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, of (a) 20 July 2005 on behalf of Zobair Zobar (Home Office reference M1169298, correspondence reference B16804/5), (b) 9 August 2005 on behalf of Vincent Massaguoi (Home Office reference M1114924/2, correspondence reference B18798/5) and (c) 23 August 2005 on behalf of Evrard Lefunga Mbunzama (Home Office reference M1175103, correspondence reference B19997/5).

Tony McNulty: The information is as follows:
	(a) The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my right hon. Friend on 13 September 2005.
	(b) The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my right hon. Friend on 16 November 2005.
	(c) The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my right hon. Friend on 16 November 2005.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, of (a) 21 September 2005 on behalf of Mohammed Javadi (Home Office reference J1027716, correspondence reference B22390/5) and (b) 10 August 2005 on behalf of Sukria Osman Ali, wife of Mr. Fayaq (Home Office reference F1042572/2, correspondence reference B19083/5).

Tony McNulty: The information is as follows:
	(a) The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my right hon. Friend on 16 November 2005.
	(b) The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my right hon. Friend on 16 November 2005.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, (a) of 21 June 2005 regarding Naila Rehman, Home Office ref. Q1012504, correspondence ref. B1419615, (b) of 29 July 2005 regarding Arelina Ngizambote, Home Office ref. N1081675, correspondence ref. B17949/5, and (c) of 9 August 2005 on behalf of Alice Ndayishimye Home Office ref. N180897/2. correspondence ref. B18792/5.

Tony McNulty: The information is as follows:
	(a) The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my right hon. Friend on 16 November 2005.
	(b) The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my right hon. Friend on 16 November 2005.
	(c) The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my right hon. Friend on 16 November 2005.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects (a) to acknowledge and (b) to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood dated 28 June, Home Office reference 52289997.

Tony McNulty: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my right hon. Friend on 17 November 2005.

Council Tax Revaluation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) advice and (b) guidance the Office of the Surveillance Commissioner provided to (i) the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), (ii) the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and (iii) the Treasury in relation to the conduct of the council tax revaluation by VOA inspectors; and if he will place copies in the Library.

Charles Clarke: The Office of Surveillance Commissioners has not given any advice or guidance, nor been asked to give any advice or guidance, in relation to conduct undertaken by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for the purpose of valuing properties for council tax. The Agency does not carry out surveillance of individuals and does not operate covertly, and its officers' always identify themselves as VOA officers when carrying out their duties.

Crime

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people convicted of crimes in Hertfordshire received a non-custodial sentence in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) ethnicity and (b) offence for which they were convicted.

Hazel Blears: Information taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings database on the number of people convicted for crimes who received a non-custodial sentence, by offence type, in Hertfordshire, 1997 to 2003 is in the table. Court statistics for 2004 will be available in late November.
	Information on sentencing and ethnicity is also taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings database. The information for Hertfordshire has not been published centrally in the past due to the high number of persons whose ethnic appearance is classified as 'unknown'. However, some breakdown on ethnicity for Hertfordshire is scheduled to be published in 2004 statistics, which will be available from February 2006.
	
		Number of offenders found guilty at all courts by offence type and sentenced to a non custodial sentence in Hertfordshire police force area, 1997 to 2003(83)
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 
			 Offence type Found guilty Non-custodial sentence Found guilty Non-custodial sentence Found guilty Non-custodial sentence Found guilty Non-custodial sentence 
		
		
			 Violence against the person 367 240 368 237 393 256 467 305 
			 Sexual offences 70 24 51 17 49 22 63 21 
			 Burglary 286 150 224 126 254 139 255 125 
			 Robbery 77 18 42 9 63 10 57 16 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 1,179 995 1,165 975 1,315 1,121 1,482 1,236 
			 Fraud and Forgery 181 133 272 208 263 190 348 270 
			 Criminal damage 31 23 45 25 40 28 37 32 
			 Drug offences 469 406 433 369 447 379 421 354 
			 Other indictable offences 376 296 354 290 426 342 420 343 
			 Indictable motoring offences 90 73 85 70 67 53 81 61 
			 Summary offences (exc. motoring) 7,047 6,952 7,781 7,692 7,290 7,180 8,113 7,994 
			 Summary motoring offences 8,727 8,557 9,913 9,771 10,016 9,858 9,097 8,896 
			 Total 18,900 17,867 20,733 19,789 20,623 19,578 20,841 19,653 
		
	
	
		
			  2001 2002 2003 
			 Offence type Found guilty Non-custodial sentence Found guilty Non-custodial sentence Found guilty Non-custodial sentence 
		
		
			 Violence against the person 456 278 539 328 507 355 
			 Sexual offences 55 12 70 20 52 17 
			 Burglary 226 108 314 169 313 160 
			 Robbery 89 19 113 17 110 17 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 1,482 1,184 1,558 1,248 1,671 1,361 
			 Fraud and Forgery 250 203 280 215 297 249 
			 Criminal damage 41 22 32 30 60 54 
			 Drug offences 462 385 481 405 545 474 
			 Other indictable offences 477 387 450 370 610 481 
			 Indictable motoring offences 80 63 94 68 128 93 
			 Summary offences (exc. motoring) 7,661 7,562 6,668 6,563 8,419 8,310 
			 Summary motoring offences 8,808 8,603 10,198 10,021 11,773 11,601 
			 Total 20,087 18,826 20,797 19,454 24,485 23,172 
		
	
	(83) These data are basis on the principal offence basis

Crime

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many criminal investigators there were in the Hertfordshire Police Force in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Information on the functions to which police officers are deployed is collected annually and is only available from March 2000. The deployment of officers to CID and other police functions is an operational matter for the Chief Constable of the Hertfordshire Constabulary (Mr. Frank Whiteley).
	The number of CID officers in the Hertfordshire Constabulary are those staff mainly employed in plain clothes for the investigation of crime and who are not part of a specialist unit. More police officers are available to investigate crime with CID, but it is not their primary policing role within force. Details of the number of CID officers in Hertfordshire Constabulary are set out in the table.
	
		Hertfordshire ConstabularyCID strength since March 2000
		
			 As at 31 March: Number of CID officers 
		
		
			 2000 207 
			 2001 202 
			 2002 205 
			 2003 280 
			 2004 318 
			 2005 293 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Data for 200002 was collected annually by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary
	2. Data from 2003 is collected by Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate annually

Crime

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide additional resources to Hertfordshire police.

Hazel Blears: Hertfordshire received a good settlement this year. General grants increased by 3.77 per cent. to 108.8 million. This is in line with the minimum increase of 3.75 per cent. increase guaranteed to all police authorities. Hertfordshire gained 4.7 million from our decision to provide funding floor of 3.75 per cent.
	The authority has also received around 9.9 million for specific grants for initiatives such as the Neighbourhood Policing Fund, to support the recruitment of 24,000 community support officers across England and Wales by 2008, and for capital. Details of the provisional police funding settlement for 200607, and for 200708 as part of the move towards three-year settlements, will be announced in late November/early December.

Crime

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government is taking to improve (a) community engagement and (b) neighbourhood policing in Hertfordshire; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The Government are committed to every area in England and Wales benefiting from dedicated, visible, accessible and responsive neighbourhood policing teams by 2008. A key aim of these teams will be to build more effective engagement with the public. To support this, the Home Office and the Association of Police Authorities convened the National Practitioner Panel for Community Engagement in Policing.
	The panel has created a Guide to Community Engagement which is a resource for all policing practitioners, and which contains both practical and strategic advice for practitioners who want to develop or improve their approach to engagement. The guide is supported by a database of case studies which showcases recent and ongoing work around the country, and encourages policing practitioners to network with, and learn from, their peers.
	The Government are working closely with the Police Service to develop neighbourhood policing, initially within pathfinder areas. In Hertfordshire, this is the Eastern Area Basic Command Unit.

Crime

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to tackle violent crime in Hertfordshire; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The Government are currently taking forward a very full range of work which will continue to reduce violent crime.
	In Hertfordshire, street crime, alcohol-related violence and disorder and domestic violence have been identified as priorities, with alcohol as a particular target. The 10 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships have action plans in place at a local level, and additionally there are multi-agency Town Centre Crime Reduction Groups (for example in Watford and Hemel) which focus on violent crime in town-centres where the majority of it occurs. Strategies include enforcement of town-centre no-drinking zones, education within schools, licensed premises inspections, expansion of CCTV coverage and training for CCTV operators, enforcement of underage drinking laws and regular police public order patrols in town centres.
	Nationally, there is a huge programme of work. We are, for example, introducing new measures which will give police and local communities the powers they need to tackle guns, knives and alcohol-related violence in the Violent Crime Reduction Bill which is currently before Parliament.
	We have also introduced Racial and Religious Hatred Bill, which will make incitement of hatred against persons on the basis of their faith a criminal offence.
	Domestic violence is a key priority. Our National Delivery Plan to tackle domestic violence provides support for victims, strengthens the Criminal Justice System to be more responsive to domestic violence cases, holds perpetrators to account and provides resettlement for victims and rehabilitation packages for perpetrators through end-to-end offender management and the concept of a whole sentence plan.

Crime

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes in Oxfordshire were committed by people who had left the intensive supervision and surveillance programme in 200405.

Fiona Mactaggart: The number of crimes committed by people who had left the intensive supervision and surveillance programme is not collected centrally.

Crime

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many alcohol-related crimes were recorded in Shrewsbury in each year since 2002.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is not possible from the recorded crime statistics to identify those offences which are alcohol related.

Crime

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of young offenders re-offended in Shropshire in each year since 2002.

Fiona Mactaggart: Re-offending rates are not currently available on a regional basis.

Crime

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) levels of and (b) detection rates were for (i) violent crime, (ii) car crime, (iii) sexual crime, (iv) burglary and (v) robbery in West Lancashire constituency in the last year for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: The available information relates to the number of offences recorded and the detection rates in the Lancashire Western Basic Command Unit (BCU) and is given in the table.
	The introduction of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in May 2004 resulted in substantial changes to the sexual offences. In particular, the redefining of the offences of exposure into the sexual offences group resulted in substantial increases in this category nationally.
	
		Recorded crimes and detection rates in the Lancashire Western Basic Command Unit 200405
		
			 Offence type Number of offences Detection rate (percentage) 
		
		
			 Violence against the person 6,661 58 
			
			 Sexual offences(84) 328 38 
			
			 Robbery 251 46 
			
			 Violent crime 7,240 57 
			
			 Domestic Burglary 1,153 25 
			
			 Theft of a motor vehicle 787 26 
			 Theft from a vehicle 1,527 14 
			
			 Vehicle crime 2,314 18 
		
	
	(84) The Sexual Offences Act 2003, introduced in May 2004, altered the definition and coverage of sexual offences.

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what upgrades are being made to the hardware and software elements of the Criminal Cases Review Commission's IT system.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Commission is currently engaged in a project to implement an electronic records management system. This will enable it to discharge its duties under the Public Records Act 1958, the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The Office of Criminal Justice Reform has also recently agreed additional funding to maintain and approve the Criminal Cases Review Commission's (CCRC) data mining functionality. This is a retrieval system which enables the CCRC caseworkers to use experience gained in similar cases to reduce the time it takes to deal with new cases.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the current average time is from the receipt of an application to the dispatch of an acknowledgement of that application from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority;
	(2)  what the current average time is from the receipt of an application to the payment of a successful claim by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority;
	(3)  what the current average waiting time is from application to a decision on whether compensation will be paid by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 3 November 2005
	The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) advise that for the period 1 April 2005 to 31 October 2005: the median average time from the receipt of an application to the dispatch of an acknowledgement of that application was nine days; the median elapsed time from receipt of an application to the issue of a decision on whether compensation would be paid (claims assessment stage) was 293 days; and that for cases finalised with a money award the median elapsed time between the receipt of an application for the particular stage of the process and the issue of the payment was: for the first (claims assessment) decision stage 352 days; for the formal review stage 254 days; and for the formal appeals stage (to the independent Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel) 462 days.

Criminal Justice Act

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which of the sentencing provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 have (a) been implemented and (b) not been implemented.

Fiona Mactaggart: All the provisions of part 12 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 have been commenced apart from: section 151, which provides the court with an additional discretionary power for dealing with persistent petty offenders; sections 154 and 155, which provide for an increase in magistrates courts powers when imposing custodial sentences; sections 161 and 266, which make some amendments to pre-sentence drug testing and drug testing for offenders released on licence and extend the provisions to those aged 14 and over; section 181, which introduces a new custodial sentence of less than 12 months (custody plus) and all related provisions to this new sentence; sections 280283, which provide for consequential amendments to penalties in relation to the increase in magistrates courts powers; section 298, which is related to the increase in the maximum sentence for some summary-only offences from six months to 51 weeks; section 300, which provides for the court to impose unpaid work or curfew on fine defaulters as an alternative to prison; and section 301, which provides for the court to disqualify a fine defaulter from driving for a period of up to 12 months as an alternative to custody.
	Section 183, which provides for the new sentence of intermittent custody, has been commenced but the new sentence is being piloted and is only available at a number of specified courts.

Criminal Justice Act

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress in implementing the new contracts for electronic monitoring under the Criminal Justice Act 2003.

Fiona Mactaggart: New contracts for electronic monitoring came into operation on 1 April 2005 throughout the whole of England and Wales.
	The contracts are independent of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, but are designed to work with its provisions for the use of electronic monitoring within the criminal justice system.

Cross-border Co-operation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his position on the establishment of an EU grouping of cross-border co-operation, with particular reference to (a) the powers proposed for the grouping and (b) the treaty base under which the grouping is proposed.

Tony McNulty: The 'Convention on the stepping-up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism, cross-border crime and illegal migration' (commonly referred to as the Prm treaty) was signed in Prm, Germany on 27 May 2005. The current contracting parties are Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria and Belgium. The treaty is open to all EU member states to join if they wish to do so. The Home Office, in consultation with other Government Departments, is currently considering the treaty. The Government have not yet made a decision on whether the UK will accede to the treaty.
	(a) The Prm treaty does not propose any new powers for the contracting parties.
	The treaty forms the basis for enhanced cross- border cooperation between the contracting parties, particularly the mutual exchange of information.
	(b) The Prm treaty does not require a treaty base. It is not made under either the treaty on European Union or the treaty establishing the European Community.

Departmental Skills Development Plan

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's Skills Development Plan.

Charles Clarke: Skills Development Plans are internal working documents to help departments identify means of addressing skills gaps and are not meant for the public domain. Cabinet Office and DfES are looking at ways to publicise case studies resulting from this work.

Drug Intervention Programme

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the areas to which the Drugs Intervention Programme is to be extended in 200506.

Paul Goggins: In April 2005, intensive elements of the Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) expanded to a further 33 police Basic Command Unit (BCU) areas with high levels of acquisitive crime. Intensive elements of the programme include testing for Class A drugs on charge for certain trigger offences. The 33 new BCUs build on what has already been achieved in the 64 earlier DIP-intensive BCUs and are listed.
	Areas were selected on the basis of number of acquisitive crimes per 1,000 households and the need to harmonise, as far as possible, with other initiatives such as Street Crime and High Crack Areas.
	The DIP programme provides a route out of crime and into treatment for drug misusing offenders, using their contact with the Criminal Justice System as an opportunity to engage them in treatment and support. The key elements of DIP are delivered in all areas of England and are presently being rolled out in Wales.
	Acquisitive crimeto which drug related crime makes a substantial contributionis going down and fell by 12 per cent. in the year to April 2005.
	
		
			 BCU name DAT area Police force 
		
		
			 Barnsley Barnsley South Yorkshire 
			 Brownhills (West Mids H2) Walsall West Midlands 
			 Bury Bury GMP 
			 Cardiff Cardiff South Wales 
			 Coventry Centre (West Mids M1) Coventry West Midlands 
			 Coventry NE (West Mids M2) Coventry West Midlands 
			 Coventry SE (West Mids M3) Coventry West Midlands 
			 Dewsbury Kirklees West Yorkshire 
			 Dudley (West Mids J1) Dudley West Midlands 
			 Enfield Enfield Met 
			 Gateshead Gateshead Northumbria 
			 Greenwich Greenwich Met 
			 Halesowen (West Mids J2) Dudley West Midlands 
			 Hounslow Hounslow Met 
			 Huddersfield Kirklees West Yorkshire 
			 Kings Heath (West Mids E2) Birmingham West Midlands 
			 Newport Newport Gwent 
			 Oxford Oxfordshire Thames Valley 
			 Redbridge Redbridge Met 
			 Rotherham Rotherham South Yorkshire 
			 Solihull (West Mids L) Solihull West Midlands 
			 Stockport Stockport GMP 
			 Sutton Coldfield (West Mids D2) Birmingham West Midlands 
			 Swansea Swansea South Wales 
			 Wakefield Wakefield West Yorkshire 
			 Walsall (West Mids Hl) Walsall West Midlands 
			 Wednesfield (West Mids G2) Wolverhampton West Midlands 
			 West Bromwich (West Mids K1) Sandwell West Midlands 
			 Wigan Wigan GMP 
			 Wolverhampton (West Mids Gl) Wolverhampton West Midlands

Drug/Driving Offences

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what drugs are most commonly involved in convictions for driving while under the influence of drugs.

Paul Goggins: Information held centrally on the Home Office Court Proceedings database does not identify separately the types of drugs involved in convictions for drug driving. There are, however, data for England and Wales which relate to drug tests processed in drug driving cases by the Forensic Science Service between April 2000 and March 2004. These show the following drugs were indicated as present in the following frequencies: Cannabis 72 per cent; Benzodiazepines 35 per cent; Opiates 30 per cent; Cocaine 30 per cent; Amphetamines 17 per cent; and Methadone 9 per cent. The figures are for polydrug use and therefore add up to more than 100 per cent.

Drug-related Crime

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's policy is on tackling the link between drug addiction and shoplifting.

Paul Goggins: Individuals who are charged with theftwhich includes shopliftingin the 97 areas with the highest levels of acquisitive crime are tested for Class A drugs as a part of the Government's Drug Interventions Programme (DIP). Drug testing is one of a number of interventions aimed at identifying drug misusing offenders and persuading them to engage in drug treatment and support.
	The Drug Interventions Programme continues to have a positive impact in communities not only by the interventions that it offers but also by delivering a more integrated approach by local agencies to the problems of offenders. Since the programme began, over 29,000 offenders from DIP intensive areas have entered treatment. Acquisitive crimeto which drug related crime (including theft) makes a substantial contributionis going down and fell by 12 per cent. in the year to April 2005 compared with the previous 12 months.

Electronic Tagging

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in Milton Keynes who were tagged on early release from prison breached the rules governing their early release in each of the last five years.

Fiona Mactaggart: The number of prisoners who were released on the Home Detention Curfew scheme (HOC) from Her Majesty's Prison Woodhill who breached the rules governing their early release for each of the last five years is provided in the table. The area in which electronically tagged prisoners reside upon release is not recorded centrally.
	
		Prisoners released on the HOC scheme from HMP Woodhill and those who were recalled, by year of release
		
			  Discharged Recalled(85) 
		
		
			 2000 94 2 
			 2001 38 2 
			 2002 92 5 
			 2003 204 25 
			 2004 167 25 
		
	
	(85) Some recalls from HOC are due to the curfewee no longer being able to be monitored through no fault of their own. For example where he or she loses accommodation through no fault of their own.

EU Travel Bans

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead of 19 October 2005, Official Report, column 1033W, on EU travel bans, which agencies hold the information.

Tony McNulty: The details of those people subject to EU travel bans are detailed on the European Union's website at the following link: http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/cfsp/sanctions/measures.htm.
	The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) also hold this information.
	Information relating to those who may have already entered the UK in breach of an EU travel ban could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Expert Evidence

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reforms have been introduced to strengthen the quality and objectivity of expert evidence since 2001.

Fiona Mactaggart: A wide range of changes have been introduced or are under consideration to strengthen the quality and objectivity of expert evidence in the courts. Recent or current initiatives include the following:
	Publication of a Code of Practice and a Code of Conduct for registered forensic pathologists have been issued.
	A recent Home Office consultation exercise on the need for and possible approaches to quality regulation in forensic science.
	The Chief Medical Officer. Sir Liam Donaldson, is due to report before the end of the year on the availability of medical expert witnesses to the courts.
	A consultation exercise (which closed on 28 October) led by the Department for Education and Skills is consulting on proposals which reflect recommendations from the report by the Working Group led by Baroness Kennedy on Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (published September 2004).
	The recent Legal Services Commission consultation paper on the Use of Experts, which included issues relating to the quality of experts.
	By December 2005 the Crown Prosecution Service plans to produce guidance for expert witnesses on the importance of fair disclosure of all prosecution material, and the role of experts in the process. This guidance should strengthen the quality and objectivity of prosecution expert evidence in future cases.
	The Criminal Procedure Rule Committee recently issued for consultation a set of draft rules on the management in court of expert evidence.
	In September 2005 an Experts Protocol for the civil courts came into force, which gives guidance to experts and those who instruct them.

Fatal Driving Offences

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to introduce an offence of causing death by driving without due care and attention which would attract a greater penalty than the offence of driving without due care and attention.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Government published a consultation paper on the Review of Road Traffic Offences involving Bad Driving on 3 February 2005. The consultation period ended on 6 May 2005 this year and resulted in 185 responses from individuals and organisations and was the subject of 11 petitions.
	The Government have now published a summary of that consultation and announced a number of proposals it wishes to take forward arising from the Review. These include a new offence of causing death by careless driving carrying a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment. A measure creating the new offence was tabled on 28 October in the House of Lords as an amendment to the Road Safety Bill currently before Parliament.

Firearms Certificates

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many temporary firearms certificates have been issued by Hertfordshire police in each of the past six months to holders of firearms certificates who are awaiting renewals.

Hazel Blears: I understand that no temporary firearms certificates have been issued by the Hertfordshire Constabulary in any of the past six months to holders of firearms certificates who are awaiting renewals.

Fireworks

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been for (a) breaking of the curfew for the use of category 3 and above fireworks and (b) the unlawful possession of category 4 fireworks since the Fireworks Regulations 2004 came into force, broken down by police force.

Hazel Blears: Fireworks Regulations 2004 came into force on 7 August 2004 and 1 January 2005, making permanent the Fireworks Regulations 2003 (Emergency Regulations).
	Court statistics for 2004 will be available in late November and 2005 data will be available in autumn 2006.
	Offences under the Fireworks Regulations 2004 (made under section 11 of the Fireworks Act 2003) for breach of the national fireworks curfew and the illegal possession of category 4 fireworks can also attract penalty notices for disorder. The numbers of penalty notices issued by police force area are provided in the following table.
	
		Number of penalty notices for disorder issued for possession of a category 4 firework(86)by police force area, 2004 and 2005(87)
		
			 Police force area 2004 2005 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset   
			 Bedfordshire   
			 Cambridgeshire   
			 Cheshire   
			 Cleveland   
			 Cumbria   
			 Derbyshire   
			 Devon and Cornwall   
			 Dorset   
			 Durham   
			 Cumbria   
			 Essex 1  
			 Gloucestershire   
			 Greater Manchester 4  
			 Hampshire  1 
			 Hertfordshire   
			 Humberside   
			 Kent  1 
			 Lancashire  1 
			 Leicestershire   
			 Lincolnshire   
			 London, City of   
			 Merseyside 2  
			 Metropolitan 1  
			 Norfolk   
			 North Yorkshire   
			 Northamptonshire   
			 Northumbria   
			 Nottinghamshire   
			 South Yorkshire 1  
			 Staffordshire   
			 Suffolk   
			 Surrey   
			 Sussex   
			 Thames Valley   
			 Warwickshire   
			 West Mercia  1 
			 West Midlands 1  
			 West Yorkshire 1  
			 Wiltshire   
			 England 11 4 
			
			 Dyfed-Powys   
			 Gwent 1  
			 North Wales  1 
			 South Wales   
			 Wales 1 1 
			
			 England and Wales 12 5 
		
	
	(86) Offence created by Fireworks Regulations 2004 under s11 Fireworks Act 2003.
	(87) January-July provisional data.

Fireworks

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fines have been imposed by the police in relation to offences relating to fireworks in (a) Great Yarmouth constituency, (b) Norfolk, (c) the Eastern Region and (d) England and Wales since the Fireworks Act 2003.

Hazel Blears: Since 11 October 2004 the police have had powers to issue penalty notices for disorder for four specific firework offences. The number of penalty notices issued for firework offences in Norfolk, the Eastern Region and England and Wales is shown in the table. Centrally available data do not identify Great Yarmouth separately.
	
		Number of PNDs issued for fireworks offences, Norfolk, Eastern Region and England and Wales, 2004 and 2005(88)
		
			  2004 
			 Police force area Throwing fireworks Breach of fireworks curfew Possession of a category 4 firework Possession by under 18 of adult firework 
		
		
			 Norfolk 1
			 Eastern Region 11 1 1 1 
			 England and Wales 177 12 12 20 
		
	
	
		
			  2005 
			 Police force area Throwing fireworks Breach of fireworks curfew Possession of a category 4 firework Possession by under 18 of adult firework 
		
		
			 Norfolk 1
			 Eastern Region 11 3   
			 England and Wales 324 11 8 4 
		
	
	(88) January-September provisional data
	Source:
	RDSOffice for Criminal Justice Reform

Foreign Prisoners (Deportation)

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to deport foreign convicted criminals held in British prisons; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Prison Service notifies the Immigration and Nationality Directorate of all prisoners identified as foreign nationals so as to enable consideration of their liability for deportation in accordance with the immigration rules. Foreign national prisoners may be released for deportation when they have served the requisite portion of their sentence (as for any prisoner) or up to 135 days early in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003. Prisoners notified of a decision to make a deportation order have a right of appeal against the decision before the order is signed and the prisoner removed.
	We are looking to ensure that foreign national prisoners liable to deportation are removed promptly.

Forensic Science Service

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effects of the introduction of a new IT-based management system by the Forensic Science Service; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The Forensic Science Service (FSS) introduced an integrated IT work management, human resources and finance system into the organisation in August 2002.
	The consolidation of HR and operational casework information has resulted in a more effective management process, balancing staff resources to meet casework demand. The system manages exhibits at all stages, ensuring continuity and common operational processes across the FSS. These enhancements to the FSS work management capability have assisted in enabling casework to be delivered more efficiently.

Gang Culture

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of antisocial behaviour orders in tackling gang culture.

Hazel Blears: We are currently conducting an evaluation of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs). The outcome of this exercise will provide us with indicative findings on:
	1. the extent and circumstances under which ASBOs are effective in tackling antisocial behaviour within our neighbourhoods and communities;
	2. how ASBOs work as part of wider strategies to tackle antisocial behaviour and protect communities and residents from the adverse impact of antisocial behaviour.
	This research will look at the overall effectiveness of ASBOs in tackling antisocial behaviour, it will not focus on specific aspects of behaviour such as gang culture. Published findings will be available in spring 2006.

General Almog

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions (a) his Department and (b) other Government Departments had with (i) the Israeli embassy in London, (ii) Israeli organisations and (iii) the Israeli Government concerning the arrest warrant for General Almog.

Fiona Mactaggart: Following the departure of General Almog from the UK, officials of the Israeli Government called on officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at a meeting which was attended by an official from the Home Office. This was the only discussion which involved the Home Office. Information concerning discussions involving other Government Departments is not held by the Home Office.

Home Detention Curfew Scheme

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been released from prison early since the Home Detention Curfew Scheme was introduced.

Fiona Mactaggart: The requested information for England and Wales, as recorded on the Prison Service IT system, is in the following table. The results for 2005 are up to 22 October.
	
		Prisoners released under Home Detention Curfew by year
		
			 England and Wales Number 
		
		
			 1999 14,846 
			 2000 15,515 
			 2001 13,649 
			 2002 20,456 
			 2003 21,197 
			 2004 19,311 
			 2005(89) 17,787 
		
	
	(89) Figures for 2005 are up to 22 October

Identity Cards

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the statement of 18 October 2005, Official Report, column 765, on the Identity Cards Bill, when his Department will publish the Gateway Reviews that have been undertaken with regard to identity cards; which Gateway Reviews have been completed; and if he will publish their (a) red, amber, green status and (b) recommendations.

Tony McNulty: The ID cards programme has undergone two OGC Gateway Zero Reviews and one Gateway One Review. The Government have no plans for publishing Gateway Reviews. Publishing the traffic light status awarded by these reviews or their recommendations would be likely to prejudice both the ability of the Office of Government Commerce to examine the effectiveness, efficiency and economy with which other Government Departments exercise their functions and also the formulation and development of Government policy. However the most recent review covering business justification did confirm that the programme was ready to proceed to the next phase.

Identity Cards

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what he estimates the cost will be per head of introducing identity cards.

Tony McNulty: The current best estimate for the total average annual running costs for issuing biometric passports and ID cards to UK nationals, and running a verification service is 584 million at 200506 prices. The current best estimate of the unit cost of an adult passport/ID card package for UK Citizens valid for 10 years is 93 at 200506 prices. Within our current financial estimates of the whole scheme, it will be affordable to set a charge of 30 at current prices for a stand-alone ID card that is valid for 10 years.

Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what target he has set for improvement in the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme completion rate.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Youth Justice Board does not set a target for the completion rate of the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme. The completion rate is, however, one of the benchmarks by which it monitors the programme's performance. The benchmark rate for completion is 60 per cent. and the current completion rate is 56 per cent. The shortfall of 4 per cent. is being addressed through the sharing of good practice, the imaginative application of incentive schemes, the use of varied and stimulating programmes to encourage young people to participate fully, and a concentration on enforcement of national standards.

Licensing Act 1964

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many violent offences were committed in and around licensed premises in each police authority area in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The available information is for 200203, 200304 and 200405 and is given in the table. Information for earlier years is not currently available.
	These figures relate to violence recorded by the police rather than violence committed. Therefore they should not be taken as a complete illustration of the number of violent offences committed in connection with licensed premises.
	For example, in certain areas where alcohol-related violence is particularly prevalent, local police are more likely to police city centres on Friday and Saturday nights thus recording more incidents of violent offences committed in connection with licensed premises. If football-related violence is a problem, the choice to send police officers to the match will undoubtedly lead to more violent crime being recorded than if they did not attend. There are other examples, such as the pro-active policing of antisocial behaviour which can increase recorded crime.
	
		The number of violent offences committed in connection with licensed premises by force for 200203, 200304 and 200405
		
			  200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 1,922 2,574 4,111 
			 Bedfordshire 693 762 849 
			 Cambridgeshire 584 750 753 
			 Cheshire 504 806 890 
			 Cleveland 588 1,615 1,699 
			 Cumbria 488 600 995 
			 Derbyshire (90) (90) (90) 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,960 3,580 3,380 
			 Dorset 813 752 808 
			 Durham (90) (90) (90) 
			 Dyfed-Powys 584 816 869 
			 Essex (90) 1,756 1,717 
			 Gloucestershire 707 864 1,014 
			 Greater Manchester (90) 1,620 1,309 
			 Gwent 670 791 (90) 
			 Hampshire 1,717 2,417 2,572 
			 Hertfordshire 804 1,005 1,135 
			 Humberside 821 1,007 944 
			 Kent 551 813 879 
			 Lancashire 2,653 3,910 4,365 
			 Leicestershire 1,155 1,323 1,505 
			 Lincolnshire (90) 607 119 
			 London, City of 159 151 151 
			 Merseyside (90) (90) 2,118 
			 Metropolitan Police (90) (90) (90) 
			 Norfolk 521 540 (90) 
			 Northamptonshire 1,083 1,043 1,102 
			 Northumbria 1,850 1,767 2,065 
			 North Wales 963 967 (90) 
			 North Yorkshire (90) 1,124 1,096 
			 Nottinghamshire (90) (90) (90) 
			 South Wales 3,140 2,895 1,769 
			 South Yorkshire 1,624 1,581 2,175 
			 Staffordshire 1,927 2,424 2,579 
			 Suffolk 808 993 1,007 
			 Surrey 562 794 912 
			 Sussex (90) (90) (90) 
			 Thames Valley 1,960 2,146 2,270 
			 Warwickshire 839 932 961 
			 West Mercia (90) 882 788 
			 West Midlands 3,731 4,140 3,974 
			 West Yorkshire 3,327 2,017 3,253 
			 Wiltshire (90) 373 257 
		
	
	(90) Not available.

Missing Persons

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in (a) Havering, (b) Greater London and (c) England and Wales who have been classified as a missing person in each year since 1980 remain missing.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not collected centrally by the Home Office.

Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangements

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases were covered by multi-agency public protection arrangements on 31 March of each year between 2001 and 2005.

Fiona Mactaggart: The number of offenders managed under multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) per year (1 April to 31 March) is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 200102 (91)47,209 
			 200203 (91)52,809 
			 200304 39,492 
			 200405 44,592 
		
	
	(91) The figures for the first two years of counting include offenders both in custody and in the community. The figures for the later years include only offenders in the community. This counting rule was changed to reflect the fact that the MAPPA were established specifically to help improve the protection of the public from sexual and violent offenders in the community.

National Identity Register

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when it was decided to have 13 items of biometric data per person on the National Identity Register.

Andy Burnham: No firm decision to hold 13 items of biometric data (facial image, 10 fingerprints and two irises) per person has been taken. The assumption that these 13 items of biometric data will be stored is a working assumption used in our modelling of enrolment processes and in the costing of the business case. Final decisions on the type and quantity of biometric data held will be informed by the procurement process within the constraints imposed by the Identity Cards Bill.

National Identity Register

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce measures to prevent the disclosure without the consent of the individual of information held on the proposed National Identity Register.

Tony McNulty: We expect most of the checks on the register to be done with the consent of the individual. Under Clause 14 of the Bill, regulations may be made prescribing how the individual's authority for the provision of information is to be given. This clause limits the information that may be provided to accredited organisations as part of a verification check. This includes information within paragraphs one, three and four of Schedule one, the photograph, signature, information concerning whether the ID card is valid, voluntary information and confirmation of the answers to security questions. The organisation will only be told that the information provided by the individual coincides with that which is held on the register. The organisation themselves will not be given the answers to the security questions. This limitation on the information that may be checked means that information falling in other parts of Schedule one, for example the records of provision of information (paragraph nine of Schedule 1), may not be provided to organisations verifying identity under the powers in this clause.
	One of the purposes of the Identity Cards Scheme, as set out in the Bill at Clause one (3) is the provision of a secure and reliable method for registrable facts about individuals to be verified wherever it is necessary in the public interest. There will be occasions when it is in the public interest for information held on the register to be disclosed without the individual's consent. However, the provision of such information is strictly limited in the Bill. The Identity Cards Bill includes measures to regulate the provision of information without consent and to prevent unauthorised disclosure. Information may be disclosed without consent to security and intelligence agencies to ensure that the scheme benefits the work of those organisations by supporting their stated statutory purposes. The police and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs may also be provided with the registrable facts held for law enforcement and related purposes, minus the audit log of card use and information about other occasions when a person's record has been checked. Provision of this information to these bodies would only apply in cases of serious crime. The Bill ensures that provision of information without consent will be properly regulated and subject to independent oversight. The Bill also includes regulation making powers that would allow specified information to be provided without consent to other Government Departments or public authorities with the consent of Parliament. The Bill which was introduced to the House of Commons in May 2005 differed from that which was debated in the previous Parliament in that under the current Bill information cannot be disclosed without an individual's consent to organisations which are not public authorities.
	Clause 29 of the Bill creates a new offence, that of unauthorised disclosure of information. This offence will apply to persons who hold an office or employment in which the duties relate to the establishment or maintenance of the register, the issue, manufacture, modification, cancellation or surrender of ID cards or the carrying out of the Commissioner's functions. A person guilty of an offence under this section may be liable to two years imprisonment, a fine or both.

Offences Against the Person Act

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and (b) females were (i) charged and (ii) convicted in England and Wales of offences under sections (A) 4, (B) 5, (C) 9, (D) 17, (E) 22, (F) 24, (G) 29, (H) 30, (I) 32, (J) 33, (K) 34, (L) 35, (M) 36, (N) 57 and (O) 60 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: Statistics on the number of males and females charged with an offence are not centrally collected.
	Information taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings database on the number of males and females found guilty of the sections under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 which are requested at all courts England and Wales, 19942003 is contained in the table.
	Court statistics for 2004 will be available later this month.
	
		Number of males and females found guilty at all courts for certain sections under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, England and Wales, 19942003(92)
		
			   1994 1995 1996 1997 
			 Offence description Principal statutes Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female 
		
		
			 Conspiracy or soliciting, etc., to commit murder Criminal Law Act 1977 S.1; Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.4 15 3 9 3 6 1 14 1 
			 Manslaughter Common Law; Offences against the Person Act 1861 SS.5, 9 and 10 171 26 178 17 200 32 214 30 
			 Murder of persons aged one year or over Common Law; Offences against the Person Act 1861 SS.1, 9 and 10 181 9 193 15 243 6 245 19 
			 Murder of infants under one year of age Common Law; Offences against the Person Act 1861 SS.1, 9 and 10 2 - 4 2 8 - 11 - 
			 Impeding the saving of life from shipwreck Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.17 - - - - - - - - 
			 Using Chloroform, etc., to commit or assist uncommitting an indictable offence Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.221 1 - - - 1 - - - 
			 Administering poison with intent to injure or annoy Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.24 15 1 35 3 16 2 9 4 
			 Causing, explosions or casting corrosive fluids with intent to do grievous bodily harm Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.29 8 - 9 - 1 - 6 - 
			 Placing, etc., explosives in or near ships or buildings with intent to do bodily harm, etc. Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.30 - - - - 1 - - - 
			 Endangering railway passengers by placing, etc., anything on railway, taking up rails, changing points and signals etc. Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.32 2 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 
			 Endangering railway passengers by throwing anything at railway carriages, etc. Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.33 - - 2 - - - - - 
			 Endangering railway passengers by unlawful acts, or by omission or neglect Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.34 12 3 29 - 19 1 21 1 
			 Causing bodily harm by furious driving Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.35 18 - 15 1 21 3 10 - 
			 Obstructing, assaulting or arresting upon civil process clergymen performing service Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.36 - 2 - - 1 - - 1 
			 Concealment of birth Offences against the Person Act 1861 S60 - - - - - - - 1 
			 Bigamy Offences against the Person Act 1861 S57 15 6 10 5 13 3 10 6 
		
	
	
		
			   1998 1999 2000 
			 Offence description Principal statutes Male Female Male Female Male Female 
		
		
			 Conspiracy or soliciting, etc., to commit murder Criminal Law Act 1977 S.1; Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.4 11 3 10 3 13 5 
			 Manslaughter Common Law; Offences against the Person Act 1861 SS.5, 9 and 10 231 35 207 27 210 28 
			 Murder of persons aged one year or over Common Law; Offences against the Person Act 1861 SS.1, 9 and 10 241 8 232 15 243 13 
			 Murder of infants under one year of age Common Law; Offences against the Person Act 1861 SS.1, 9 and 10 6 1 4 1 5 - 
			 Impeding the saving of life from shipwreck Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.17 - - - - - - 
			 Using Chloroform, etc., to commit or assist uncommitting an indictable offence Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.221 - 1 2 - 3 1 
			 Administering poison with intent to injure or annoy Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.24 21 6 24 3 13 3 
			 Causing, explosions or casting corrosive fluids with intent to do grievous bodily harm Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.29 3 - - - . - 
			 Placing, etc., explosives in or near ships or buildings with intent to do bodily harm, etc. Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.30 - - - - - - 
			 Endangering railway passengers by placing, etc., anything on railway, taking up rails, changing points and signals etc. Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.32 - - - - - - 
			 Endangering railway passengers by throwing anything at railway carriages, etc. Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.33 - - - - - - 
			 Endangering railway passengers by unlawful acts, or by omission or neglect Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.34 23 - 21 1 20 3 
			 Causing bodily harm by furious driving Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.35 8 1 11 - 12 - 
			 Obstructing, assaulting or arresting upon civil process clergymen performing service Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.36 - - - - - - 
			 Concealment of birth Offences against the Person Act 1861 S60 - 1 1 1 - 1 
			 Bigamy Offences against the Person Act 1861 S57 11 7 18 10 10 2 
		
	
	
		
			   2001 2002 2003 
			 Offence description Principal statutes Male Female Male Female Male Female 
		
		
			 Conspiracy or soliciting, etc., to commit murder Criminal Law Act 1977 S.1; Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.4 6 1 10 3 28 1 
			 Manslaughter Common Law; Offences against the Person Act 1861 SS.5, 9 and 10 230 32 263 36 213 31 
			 Murder of persons aged one year or over Common Law; Offences against the Person Act 1861 SS.1, 9 and 10 268 17 309 11 255 18 
			 Murder of infants under one year of age Common Law; Offences against the Person Act 1861 SS.1, 9 and 10 - - 2 2 3 1 
			 Impeding the saving of life from shipwreck Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.17 - - - - - - 
			 Using Chloroform, etc., to commit or assist uncommitting an indictable offence Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.221 1 - 2 - 1 1 
			 Administering poison with intent to injure or annoy Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.24 6 5 13 2 14 7 
			 Causing, explosions or casting corrosive fluids with intent to do grievous bodily harm Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.29 4 - - - 5 - 
			 Placing, etc., explosives in or near ships or buildings with intent to do bodily harm, etc. Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.30 8 - - - - - 
			 Endangering railway passengers by placing, etc., anything on railway, taking up rails, changing points and signals etc. Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.32 2 - 1 - 8 - 
			 Endangering railway passengers by throwing anything at railway carriages, etc. Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.33 - - 2 - 1 - 
			 Endangering railway passengers by unlawful acts, or by omission or neglect Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.34 17 1 32 - 23 - 
			 Causing bodily harm by furious driving Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.35 7 - 13 - 10 1 
			 Obstructing, assaulting or arresting upon civil process clergymen performing service Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.36 1 - 1 - - - 
			 Concealment of birth Offences against the Person Act 1861 S60 - - - - 1 3 
			 Bigamy Offences against the Person Act 1861 S57 13 4 15 1 15 5 
		
	
	(92) These data are provided on the principal offence basis.

Offensive Weapons

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the coverage of the list of banned offensive weapons.

Hazel Blears: The Government are considering whether any further categories of knife or other offensive weapon currently being used in crime should be added to the list of banned offensive weapons.

Offensive Weapons

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many stop and searches for weapons were performed by the police in (a) England and Wales and (b) the Teignbridge constituency since the coming into force of the Knives Act 1997.

Hazel Blears: Information from 199899 to 200304 (latest available) for England and Wales on stops and searches under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 as amended by section 8 of the Knives Act 1997 is given in the table. The information is available centrally at police force area level only. Data for 200405 will be published in December 2005.
	
		Searches of persons or vehicles in anticipation of violence under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 as amended by section 8 of the Knives Act 1997, section 25 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, schedule 7 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 and SI 2004/1573England and Wales
		
			  Searches 
		
		
			 199899(93) 5,500 
			 19992000 6,840 
			 200001 11,300 
			 200102 18,900 
			 200203 44,400 
			 200304 40,400 
		
	
	(93) S8 of the Knives Act 1997 came into force on 1 March 1999.

Operation Kratos

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has held with (a) the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and (b) the Association of Chief Police Officers on extending the rules of engagement of Operation Kratos to other police operations.

Hazel Blears: None. Operational tactics are a matter for the police. Operation Kratos is a response developed by the police following 11 September which Ministers were not asked to approve but were told about. The Association of Chief Police Officers are currently reviewing the policy in relation to the handling of suspected suicide bombers. I will await the outcome of that review before considering further involvement. All police use of firearms is subject to the usual law on the use of force. In particular, the Criminal Law Act 1967 provides that the police may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances to effect an arrest or to prevent crime.

Parking Offences

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the process by which power was transferred from the police to local authorities following the decriminalisation of parking offences; what steps he took to ensure that this was a smooth transition of authority; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Ms Buck) on 31 October 2005, Official Report, column 672W.

Parking Offences

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the merits of a national parking offenders database; and what representations he has received on this matter.

Karen Buck: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Transport has received no representations about a national parking offenders database.

Passports

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passport applications have been made online in each of the last five years.

Andy Burnham: The following table indicates the volume of passport applications received from the online channel since March 2003, the date from which the UK Passport Service has been recording this information.
	
		
			 Period Online applications received Total passport applications Proportion online applications (percentage) 
		
		
			 March to December 2003 58,497 5,904,046 1.0 
			 January to December 2004 139,233 6,162,198 2.3 
			 January to October 2005 174,453 5,825,050 3.0

Passports

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of levels of rejected passport applications due to photographs not meeting requirements; and what percentage of applications were rejected for this reason in each of the last five years.

Andy Burnham: This data is only available for the weeks commencing 12 September 2005, when the new standards became mandatory, so it is not possible to compare this figure with the last five years.
	Reject rates are however showing a decline as the photo booth industry upgrades their booths and the public understand the new standards.
	The UKPS are evaluating the guidance in the application pack and continuing to work with both the industry and their partners such as Post Office Ltd. to ensure that inconvenience to customers is kept to a minimum.
	The number of applications being rejected because of the photograph not meeting the new requirements is 13.7 per cent. for the last week for which figures are available (week commencing 31 October).

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the cost savings to the Exchequer of introducing a pension scheme retirement age of 65 years for all police officers, prison officers and staff employed directly by his Department and its agencies from 2025; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Savings to the Exchequer from introducing new pension allowance (NPA) 65 from 2025 have not been estimated and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. It is, however, likely that delaying the introduction of NPA 65 until 2025 for those who are not police officers would absorb a substantial part of the expected 13 billion savings that will arise from the implementation of scheme reform within the framework of the principles agreed at the Public Services Forum.
	In the case of police officers we are introducing a pension age of 55 for new entrants to the service from April 2006. This is in line with the Government's recognition that services like the police and the armed forces have specific needs which make a lower pension age appropriate for their members. If a calculation of the savings of introducing a pension age of 65 were carried out for the police it is arguable that the cost implications for operational effectiveness should also be taken into account

Perjury

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many successful prosecutions for perjury there have been in each of the last 10 years.

Fiona Mactaggart: Data from the Home Office Court Proceedings database, showing the number of convictions for perjury at all courts in England and Wales for the last 10 years, is provided in the table.
	Data for 2004 will be available in late November.
	
		Offenders found guilty at all courts for perjury England and Wales, 1993 to 2003(94)
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1993 150 
			 1994 144 
			 1995 193 
			 1996 152 
			 1997 173 
			 1998 176 
			 1999 114 
			 2000(95) 135 
			 2001 92 
			 2002 81 
			 2003 108 
		
	
	(94) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(95) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.

Police

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress his Department has made in making the police more accountable to local communities.

Hazel Blears: The Government are committed to strengthening accountability at a local level by introducing dedicated, visible, accessible and responsive neighbourhood policing teams in all areas by 2008. In the White Paper, 'Building Communities Beating Crime', published in November 2004, the Government set out proposals for strengthening the role of the police authority to ensure communities are policed effectively and to increase the public visibility of police authorities, including through the publication of an annual local policing summary. In the light of police force restructuring, we are reviewing the White Paper proposals in relation to the role and composition of police authorities and examining ways to strengthen accountability arrangements at the basic command unit/crime and disorder reduction partnership level. In addition, the White Paper set out proposals for a mechanism to trigger action by the police or other community safety partners in response to unresolved local problems.

Police

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the merits of allowing police officers to use hand-held electronic devices to record evidence.

Hazel Blears: The use of hand-held technology continues to play a vital role in modern-day policing. The technology affects the full range of policing activity, from public order operations and road traffic accident investigations to witness statements and recording the identity of suspects on the street.
	Hand-held electronic devices enable police officers to access databases, receive and transmit data, and complete forms while out of their stations. Wider use of wireless technology across the forces has the potential to reduce the burden of bureaucracy on the police, enabling them to spend more time patrolling. Reducing bureaucracy and increasing the number of officers on patrol are two key government commitments. A number of options are being explored by the police service to determine the most appropriate way of meeting their needs.
	The Home Office continues to work with the police to develop and pilot new uses of technology to support detection and enforcement on the street.

Police

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has appointed specialist advisers to review the business cases submitted as part of the police force merger consultation process.

Hazel Blears: I have brought together a multi-discipline team to support the review of police force structures under the leadership of John Giffard, Chief Constable of Staffordshire. The team includes Home Office officials, officials from other partners in the criminal justice system and seconded police officers. Among the Home Office officials are specialist financial and economic advisers to conduct the analysis of the business cases submitted by police forces and authorities.

Police

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers worked overtime in each of the last 10 years; and what the cost of police overtime was in each year.

Hazel Blears: The table gives estimates of overtime payments made to full-time police officers in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years.
	
		
			  Number of full-time officers in receipt of overtimes payments 
			  Rest days with less than eight days notice Rest days with between eight and 14 days notice Other overtime Total amount paid out to full-time officers for overtime ( million) 
		
		
			 1995 9,003 8,677 57,159 160 
			 1996 9,875 5,866 56,787 160 
			 1997 11,098 7,127 58,267 170 
			 1998 9,091 5,909 51,907 160 
			 1999 9,753 6,851 55,603 180 
			 2000 14,003 8,065 57,396 250 
			 2001 19,461 12,077 62,160 310 
			 2002 18,527 14,448 59,071 290 
			 2003 17,598 14,374 61,687 340 
			 2004 21,675 16,508 68,513 350 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Only full-time officers are included.
	2. Annual figures are extrapolated from a sample drawn from November pay bills in each year.
	3. Individual officers can receive more than one type of overtime pay.
	Source:
	Police Negotiating Board annual survey of hours and earnings

Police

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what minimum educational standards are required for recruitment to the police force; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Although there are no minimum educational standards required to be a police officer, numeracy and literacy are tested early in the application process. Behavioural competencies needed to carry out the role of a police officer are assessed during the recruitment process. However in practice approximately a third of recruits are graduates and 98 per cent. are qualified at GCSE level or above.

Police

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new methods of police engagement his Department is supporting to lead to the deeper and stronger connection with the public referred to on page 93 of the 2005 Departmental Report.

Hazel Blears: Visible and responsive neighbourhood policing teams will be key to building a deeper and stronger connection with the public. Every area in England and Wales will benefit from these teams by 2008. The methods of engagement used by these teams will depend on local circumstances, and on the needs and preferences of local communities; there is no uniform way of engaging successfully with every community.
	To support this, the National Practitioner Panel for Community Engagement in Policing has created a Guide to Community Engagement for policing practitioners containing practical and strategic advice, supported by case studies, for neighbourhood policing teams and practitioners.
	In addition, the Government's Respect Task Force sets out to improve our communities and the lives of people in them by tackling disrespect for others. This includes working together on the neighbourhood renewal and antisocial behaviour agendas, highlighting respect for others and the community, and a key role for Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) in tackling antisocial behaviour. As part of this we will enable community groups to trigger action in their local areas so that, via their local councillor, they can secure a response from the police or relevant local authority in cases they feel have not been adequately addressed.

Police

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Police Standards Unit to complete its assignment with Northamptonshire police.

Hazel Blears: The Police Standards Unit has been engaged with Northamptonshire police since spring 2004. The criteria for disengagement have been agreed by the Force, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and the Police Standards Unit. The position of the Force in relation to these criteria is regularly monitored, and disengagement will take place when all parties are satisfied that the criteria have been met.

Police

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) civilian staff and (b) police officers are employed by each police force.

Hazel Blears: The breakdown of police service strength for 31 March 2005 was published on 25 July 2005 and is available in the Library and on: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/hosb1205.pdf
	Within this publication, the numbers of police officers are provided in Table 1 and the numbers of police staff in Table 8a and 8b.

Police

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will revise the Police and Criminal Evidence Code to facilitate the re-interview of terrorist detainees after charge; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: During Report Stage on the Terrorism Bill on 9 November 2005, my right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary agreed to look at whether it might be possible to extend the circumstances in which post charge interviewing can be used in terrorist cases. We are currently reviewing existing legislation in consultation with the police and the CPS.

Police

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been found to be using their siren inappropriately in the last five years.

Hazel Blears: The Government keeps no central record of occasions when a siren has been inappropriately used. The use of sirens on police vehicles is controlled by the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. These provide that such sirens may only be used either to indicate to other road users the urgency of the purposes for which the vehicle is being used, or to warn them of the presence of the vehicle on the road. Training and guidance on when it is appropriate to use police sirens for these purposes is a matter for individual chief officers of police.

Police

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what regulations govern the allocation of cells in police stations;
	(2)  what assessments are made to determine whether those being held in police stations should share a cell and with whom they should share;
	(3)  what the procedures are for allocating shared cells in police stations;
	(4)  whether he intends to extend the recommendations concerning the allocation of cells made by the Zahid Mubarek Inquiry final report to police stations.

Hazel Blears: The PACE Code of Practice on detention, treatment and questioning Code C) requires that as far as is practicable, not more than one person should be detained in each cell; and that a juvenile is not placed in a cell with an adult. The use of police cells is an operational matter for the chief officer of the force concerned. When one person to a cell is not practicable, consideration would be given to moving a detainee to another designated police station. A risk assessment would be carried out in relation to the options available including any risk associated with individual suspects sharing cell accommodation and the impact on the overall safety and security of the custody suite.

Police

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to improve the quality of local policing in Bedfordshire following the Police Performance Assessment 200405; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The Government are committed to a major programme of police reform, to help build safer and stronger communities. This will help to drive performance in every force and includes building a more responsive, citizen-focused police service with neighbourhood policing at its heart.
	Instilling a strong performance culture is an important part of ensuring the police deliver an effective service in their local area. This is taking hold, delivering real and sustainable improvements.
	In terms of Bedfordshire police's performance and how this is enhanced, as for any force this is principally a matter for the Chief Officer team and the Police Authority.
	The Home Office has recently published assessments for every force in the country. Bedfordshire police received the following assessments from the Police Performance Assessments 200405.
	
		
			 Performance area Delivery Direction 
		
		
			 Reducing crime Fair Improved 
			 Investigating crime Good Improved 
			 Promoting safety Fair Improved 
			 Providing assistance Good Stable 
			 Citizen focus Fair Stable 
			 Resource use Good Stable 
			 Local policing Poor Improved 
		
	
	The force received its only poor grading in the Local Policing domain, for performance in comparison to its peers. It is, however, important to note that this is an area where the force showed improvement for the assessment period.
	The Government's work with all 43 forces to develop neighbourhood policing, initially within pathfinder areas, will enhance the quality of local policing. In Bedfordshire, this is Luton Division.

Police

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions police officers from outside the North Wales police area were deployed in the North Wales area in each of the last three years for which records are available; and from which forces those officers were deployed in each case.

Hazel Blears: Information is only available for secondments coming into a force. Since 2003, North Wales police had no police officers seconded into the force.

Police

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many criminal investigators there were in the Milton Keynes division of the Thames Valley police force in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Information on the functions to which police officers are deployed is collected annually and is only available from March 2000. The deployment of officers to CID and other police functions is an operational matter for the Chief Constable of the Thames Valley police (Mr. Peter Neyroud).
	Information on the number of CID officers is collected only at force level. CID officers in the Thames Valley Police are those staff mainly employed in plain clothes for the investigation of crime and who are not part of a specialist unit. More police officers are available to investigate crime with CID, but it is not their primary policing role within the force. Details of the number of CID officers in Thames Valley Police are set out in the table.
	
		Thames Valley policeNumber of CID officers since 2000
		
			 As at 31 March: Number of CID officers 
		
		
			 2000 282 
			 2001 287 
			 2002 299 
			 2003 280 
			 2004 290 
			 2005 315 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Data for 2000 to 2002 was collected annually by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary
	2. Data from 2003 is collected by Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate annually.

Prison Staff

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) the rate of turnover of prison staff and (b) the ratio of staff to prisoners in public sector prisons is; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures in private prisons.

Fiona Mactaggart: The rate of turnover of permanent Prison Service staff during the year ending 30 September 2005 was 8.4 per cent. The calculation includes retirements but excludes staff who have transferred out of the public sector Prison Service to other public sector organisations due to structural re-organisations. The ratio of staff to prisoners in public sector prison establishments on 30 September was one member of staff to 1.5 prisoners.
	Information on staffing turnover in the contracted estates is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. As at 30 June 2005, there was a ratio of one member of staff to 1.8 prisoners within contracted prisons.

Prison Officers (Salaries)

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) starting salary and (b) average salary is of prison officers in public sector prisons; and what estimates he has made of the equivalent rates in private sector prisons.

Fiona Mactaggart: The current starting salary for new entrant prison officers in public sector prisons is 17,319. For new entrant prison officers regrading from elsewhere in the Prison Service the current starting salary is 18,483. The current average salary for prison officers in public sector prisons is 23,595.
	Independent research carried out by DLA MCG Consulting on behalf of the Prison Service Pay Review Body into pay of staff in the 11 privately managed prisons indicates that the average starting salary for prison custody officers is 15,334 and that the current average salary of a prison custody officer is 16,950.

Prisoners

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the change in the (a) number and (b) percentage of prisoners leaving custody and entering employment, education or training in each of the last five years.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information on the numbers of prisoners leaving custody and entering employment, training or education is only available for the last three years. The outcomes include those who attended FRESHSTART appointments at Jobcentre Plus, whereby prisoners who do not have a job or training place to go to on release are linked into employment, training and benefits advice and support immediately after release.
	
		
			  200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 Discharges 86,353 87,449 85,685 
			 Info recorded 77,188 82,650 83,991 
			 ETE outcomes (inc. FRESHSTART) 21,327 33,946 41,146 
			 ETE outcomes (inc. FRESHSTART)  as percentage of total discharges 25 39 48

Prisoners

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of prisoners convicted since 1990 have continued to protest their innocence, broken down by category of prisoner.

Fiona Mactaggart: This information is not centrally recorded by the Prison Service and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Prisons

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to improve educational resources for prisoners by (a) improved ICT facilities and (b) increased internet access in prisons.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Government have increased ICT provision within the prison estate considerably in recent years through projects such as Prisoners' ICT Academy, which has seen new or upgraded computer workshops installed at 18 establishments, and involvement of Learndirect, which aims to provide up to around 7,000 offenders with secure web-based access to Learndirect courses by December 2006.
	Colleagues at the Department for Education and Skills are currently in the process of developing an Offender ICT strategy. As part of this, a pilot at Her Majesty's Prison Leyhill is evaluating a commercial design for a secure 'Internet Kiosk', and the practical benefit that offenders can gain from e-learning within the security constraints required by the prison environment.

Prisons

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in Essex who were tagged on early release from prison breached the rules governing their early release in each of the last five years.

Fiona Mactaggart: The number of prisoners who were released on the Home Detention Curfew scheme (HDC) from Her Majesty's Prison Bullwood Hall and Her Majesty's Prison Chelmsford who breached the rules governing their early release for each of the last five years is provided in the following table. The area in which electronically tagged prisoners reside upon release is not recorded centrally.
	
		Prisoners released on the HOC scheme from HMP Bullwood Hall and Chelmsford and those who were recalled, by year of release
		
			  Discharged Recalled(96) 
		
		
			 2000 147 12 
			 2001 139 8 
			 2002 303 25 
			 2003 265 27 
			 2004 125 17 
		
	
	(96) Some recalls from HOC are due to the curfewee no longer being able to be monitored through no fault of their own. For example where he or she loses accommodation through no fault of their own.

Prisons

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what projections he has made of the prison population in the next five years; and what plans he has to meet those projections.

Fiona Mactaggart: The latest prison population projections are published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 10/05 Updated And Revised Prison Population Projections, 20052011, England and Wales. Figures for 10 scenarios can be found in this document. The scenarios range from 'High' to 'Low'. Projected total prison population figures (annual averages) for High and Low scenarios for the relevant financial years are presented in the following table.
	The National Offender Management Service keeps under review the demand on prison places and the capacity of prisons to accommodate those prisoners sent to them by the courts. We are increasing the operational capacity of the prison estate by bringing accommodation back into use and through additional places built at existing prisons.
	
		Projected prison population (end of June figures)
		
			  High Low 
		
		
			 2005 76,600 76,110 
			 2006 79,490 76,060 
			 2007 84,260 76,670 
			 2008 87,870 77,310 
			 2009 89,400 77,080 
			 2010 91,500 77,380 
		
	
	Source:
	RDS NOMS

Prisons

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what major changes have been made in the training provided to Prison Officers in the last five years.

Fiona Mactaggart: All newly recruited Prison Officers now undertake an eight-week Prison Officer Entry Level Training course (POELT), previously known as Prison Officer Initial Training (POINT). The POELT course has recently been rewritten and provides new staff with a foundation level of training in all core skill areas and covering interpersonal skills, mental health awareness, race and diversity, violence reduction and safer custody, along side the more traditional security awareness and practical skills needed to be a prison officer.
	There has been an increased emphasis across all prison officer training on offender management and the care of all offenders. The Prison Service is in the process of embedding race and diversity throughout all training courses, where appropriate. An improved quality assurance system is now in place for all courses, which adheres to the Adult Learning Inspectorate common inspection framework.

Prisons

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the placing of unsuitable prisoners at Spring Hill prison, with particular reference to (a) arsonists and (b) violent offenders.

Fiona Mactaggart: No representations have been received about the placing of unsuitable prisoners at Spring Hill prison. Spring Hill's acceptance criteria excludes any prisoner:
	who has an index offence of arson, or any current offence of arson or damage by fire; and
	who has more than one previous conviction for arson or damage by fire within the last five years.
	These criteria apply to all open prisons.

Prisons

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS among Prison Service staff; what guidance he has issued to Prison Service staff to ensure the care received by those with HIV/AIDS is fair and equitable; and what plans he has to issue further guidance on this issue.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Prison Service has issued a number of documents giving comprehensive guidance to support staff with HIV/AIDS. These include Prison Service Order (PSO) Occupational Health, and is available on the Prison Service website: www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/resourcecentre/psispsos.
	In addition, PSO 3845, Blood Borne and Related Communicable Diseases and the Health and Safety Guidance Note 02/2005 Risk Assessment and Immunisation for Communicable Diseases provide further advice and guidance. Copies of these documents are in the Library. All these documents are available to staff via the Prison Service intranet and as hard copies where required. Staff have access to occupational health advisers and additional support is available through staff care and welfare services.
	The Prison Service is committed to ensuring that all those in custody receive fair and equitable treatment. Staff guidance is available in the Health Services for Prisoners Standard to ensure that those with HIV/AIDS receive appropriate care and was updated in May 2004. There are no immediate plans to issue further guidance on this issue but regular reviews are undertaken to ensure best practice is followed.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prison establishments where educational services are provided by Amersham and Wycombe College; and what the (a) commencement and (b) end date of the contract is in each case.

Fiona Mactaggart: Amersham and Wycombe College provides educational services at the following establishments:
	Aylesbury
	Belmarsh
	Cookham Wood
	Elmley
	Grendon/Spring Hill
	Holloway
	Pentonville
	Rochester
	Standford Hill
	Swaleside
	Wandsworth
	Wormwood Scrubs.
	All Amersham and Wycombe contracts started on 1 January 1999 and are contacted to end on 31 August 2007. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is currently tendering the education provision for all prisons as part of the Offender Learning and Skills Service. The expected start date for these contracts is 1 August 2006. Providing there are no slippages in the timetable then all the education contracts will be terminated by the Prison Service earlier to coincide with the LSC contract start dates.

Prisons

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the main routes through which drugs are smuggled into prisons; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: As I stated in my reply to a question by the hon. Member for Jarrow on 2 November, the Home Office recently commissioned a substantial piece of research that identifies patterns of drug use and supply routes. The six main routes identified were social visits, mail, new receptions, prison staff, over the perimeter and reception after court visits. Measures are already in place to target these routes and the report will inform the further development of supply reduction strategies.

Private Gregory Bruce

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the result was of the Thames Valley police investigation into the death of Private Gregory Bruce in Bicester barracks, Oxfordshire.

Hazel Blears: The Coroner's inquest, based on information in the Thames Valley police investigation report, determined on 13 October 2005 that Private Bruce's death was death by suicide.

Probation Service

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vacancies there are in each probation area where the service (a) is and (b) is not recruiting.

Fiona Mactaggart: The following figures represent active vacancies (in terms of full-time equivalent value) in each probation area as at 30 June 2005. This is the most recent information available at present.
	An active vacancy is one which an area is actively trying to fill (ie is at some stage of the recruitment process). Where an area has no active vacancies recorded, this can be taken as indicating that they were not recruiting on the day that data was captured.
	
		
			  Active vacancies 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 67.90 
			 Bedfordshire 17.20 
			 Cambridgeshire 22.80 
			 Cheshire 21.00 
			 Cumbria 5.50 
			 Derbyshire 8.80 
			 Devon and Cornwall 11.30 
			 Dorset 20.60 
			 Durham 19.80 
			 Dyfed Powys 4.60 
			 Essex 7.00 
			 Gloucestershire 10.09 
			 Gwent 8.00 
			 Hampshire 26.00 
			 Hertfordshire 20.60 
			 Humberside 0.00 
			 Kent 26.96 
			 Lancashire 28.50 
			 Leicestershire 30.60 
			 Lincolnshire 8.00 
			 London 490.77 
			 Greater Manchester 0.00 
			 Merseyside 0.00 
			 Norfolk 5.00 
			 North Yorkshire 0.00 
			 North Wales 7.50 
			 Northamptonshire 19.60 
			 Northumbria 0.00 
			 Nottinghamshire 12.80 
			 South Wales 40.50 
			 South Yorkshire 0.00 
			 Staffordshire 12.50 
			 Suffolk 12.10 
			 Surrey 27.20 
			 Sussex 17.00 
			 Teesside 30.90 
			 Thames Valley 59.20 
			 Warwickshire 5.80 
			 West Mercia 13.60 
			 West Midlands 0.00 
			 West Yorkshire 50.50 
			 Wiltshire 9.60 
			 Total 1,179.82 
		
	
	Note:
	Greater Manchester are not able to provide active vacancy figures at present, and the zero values recorded for this area indicate a nil return rather than an absence of vacancies.

Probation Staff (Pay Award)

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the outcome of the Pay and Reward Review for Probation Staff in England and Wales.

Fiona Mactaggart: Talks between the employers and trade unions on the National Probation Service pay and reward review are progressing well and a joint statement will be issued shortly.

Public Enquiry Office Belfast

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what circumstances led to the closure of the public enquiry office in Belfast with effect from 15 November 2001; and if the Government will re-establish a public enquiry office in Belfast.

Tony McNulty: The decision to close the Belfast Public Enquiry Office (PEO) was based on the fact that only 2,000 callers used the office annually and the operating hours and capacity were very limited. A better service could be provided from the larger PEO situated in Liverpool which offered a full range of services, unlike the restricted service offered at Belfast. There are no plans to reopen the Belfast PEO.

Race Relations (Amendment) Act

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on public bodies' compliance with the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

Paul Goggins: The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 extended the provisions of the Race Relations Act to most public authorities by making racial discrimination unlawful in carrying out their functions. It also placed a positive duty on many public authorities to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination and to promote equality of opportunity and good relations between persons of different racial groups. The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) is responsible for enforcing and monitoring the Act.
	The CRE has issued more than 200 'minded letters', indicating its willingness to take enforcement action against specific public authorities. In all cases this has resulted in the authorities concerned taking the necessary remedial action required to ensure that they are meeting their responsibilities in relation to race equality. Building on this work, the CRE is drawing up proposals on what it, in partnership with others, could do further to monitor public bodies' progress on meeting their equality targets and obligations under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act. For example, the CRE is currently targeting a range of public authorities to determine their progress in conducting Race Equality Impact Assessments. This will focus on both the number of new policies being assessed and the rigor of individual assessments. A specific focus for the CRE over the coming 12 months will be to ensure that all new policies, including legislation, are subject to Race Equality Impact Assessments. To support this work, the Home Office is working with the Interdepartmental Group on Race Equality to drive this work at a departmental level.

Reconviction Rate

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reconviction rate has been in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The table shows the available information. The data refers to samples of offenders for the each of the five years shown. Owing to the administrative costs of matching criminal histories, reconviction results are generally based on samples of offenders from the first three months of each year.
	Reconviction rates are influenced by a number of different factors relating to the offence and the offender. They can be adjusted to take account of the changing characteristics of offenders and these adjusted rates are published annually on the Home Office's website (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index.htm).
	
		Reconviction ratespercentage of offenders reconvicted within two years for standard list offences
		
			  Offenders discharged from prison in Qtr 1 of each year Offenders starting community sentences in Qtr 1 of each year 
		
		
			 2001 61 59 
			 2000 60 59 
			 1999 59 56 
			 1998 59 56 
			 1997 58 55

Recorded Crime Rate

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the recorded rate of crime was in Suffolk for each year since 1997 for (a) burglary of dwellings, (b) violence against the person, (c) vehicle crime, (d) robbery, (e) sexual offences, (f) total violent crime, (g) theft and handling of stolen goods and (h) criminal damage.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is given in the table.
	
		Table 1: Offences recorded by the police in Suffolk1997 to 200102 -- Number of offences
		
			 Offence 1997 199899 19992000 200001 200102 
		
		
			 Violence against the person 2,448 3,820 5,303 6,395 7,354 
			   
			 Sexual offences 400 405 389 421 486 
			   
			 Robbery 141 140 223 177 289 
			   
			 Violent crime 2,989 4,365 5,915 6,993 8,129 
			   
			 Burglary in a dwelling 2,422 2,464 2,332 2,198 2,447 
			   
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 16,952 17,097 17,422 17,196 19,419 
			 Of which:  
			 Vehicle crime 6,687 6,446 6,501 6,291 6,915 
			   
			 Criminal damage 7,835 7,898 9,547 10,150 12,095 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The coverage was extended and counting rules revised from 199899. Figures from that date are not directly comparable with those for 1997.
	2. The data in this table is prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.
	
		Table 2: Offences recorded by the police in Suffolk 200203 to 200405 -- Number of offences
		
			 Offence 200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 Violence against the person 7,949 9,529 10,347 
			 
			 Sexual offences 588 641 620 
			 
			 Robbery 249 290 260 
			 
			 Violent crime 8,786 10,460 11,227 
			 
			 Burglary in a dwelling 2,258 2,365 1,763 
			 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 18,806 18,205 17,609 
			 Of which:
			 Vehicle crime 6,282 5,782 5,463 
			 
			 Criminal damage 11,497 12,817 12,781 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.
	2. The Sexual Offences Act 2003, introduced in May 2004, altered the definition and coverage of sexual offences.

Re-offending

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has commissioned on the effect on the re-offending rate of (a) penal custody, (b) restorative justice programmes and (c) local authority-run secure accommodation.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information requested is as follows.
	(a) No recent research has been commissioned on the direct effect of penal custody on re-offending rates (as measured by reconviction); however research (Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction) is being undertaken on the link between interventions received in (as well as outside of) prison, and outcomes (including reconviction). Research has also been commissioned (building on the three Resettlement Surveys undertaken in 2001, 2003 and 2004) to provide information on the links between resettlement factors and reconviction. A large scale sentencing survey is also being undertaken which will provide information about the relative effectiveness (and cost-effectiveness) of different sentences.
	(b) Research was commissioned in 2001 to provide robust evidence on the impact of restorative justice (RJ) alongside the criminal justice system (pre and post sentence) on reconviction rates. Other recently conducted research on RJ has included a study examining the impact of a restorative cautioning scheme (Wilcox et al., 2004) and an exploratory study on the effectiveness of RJ schemes (Miers et al., 2001). The evidence from both of these studies on the effect of RJ on reconviction was inconclusive.
	To follow up earlier research on the introduction of referral orders (which follow the principles of restorative justice), a reconviction study on those offenders subject to referral orders has been commissioned by the Youth Justice Board (YJB). Further Youth Justice Board research is being undertaken to evaluate the enhanced effectiveness of using Family Group Conferencing in conjunction with Youth Inclusion and Support Panels to divert highest risk children from offending.
	(c) No recent research has been conducted by the Home Office or the Youth Justice Board assessing the effect on the re-offending rate of local authority run secure accommodation.

Secure Training Centres

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times noise distraction has been used in each of the four secure training centres in each of the last three years.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information is not held centrally for the entire period. The following table gives details for the period October 2004 to September 2005:
	
		
			  Use of noise distraction technique 
		
		
			 Medway 178 
			 Rainsbrook 63 
			 Oakhill(97) 134 
			 Hassockfield 62 
		
	
	(97) Figures for Oakhill do not include the period 118 October 2004.

Secure Training Centres

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to publish the full report of the review of the use of physical control in care in secure training centres.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Youth Justice Board plans to publish a full report of the review in the near future. A summary of the recommendations of the panel of experts who undertook the review is available on the Board's website.

Shoot to Kill Policy

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long he expects the police to maintain the shoot to kill policy for suspected suicide bombers.

Hazel Blears: Operational tactics to deal with suspected suicide bombers are a matter for the police. All police use of firearms is subject to the usual law on the use of force. In particular, the Criminal Law Act 1967 provides that the police may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances to effect an arrest or to prevent crime.

Similar Fact Rules

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes have been made to the similar fact rules since 1990; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The common law similar fact rule allowed the prosecution to rely on a defendant's previous misconduct in certain circumstances. However the Bad Character provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, which were implemented in December 2004, abolished this and other common law rules governing the admissibility of such evidence in criminal proceedings. In their place the Act sets out a number of gateways through which evidence of a defendant's bad character may be admissible, where relevant and probative. One of these is where such evidence is
	relevant to an important matter in issue between the defendant and the prosecution.
	The Act makes clear that such
	matters in issue between the defendant and the prosecution
	include the question whether the defendant has a propensity to commit offences of the kind with which he is charged.

Slavery Memorial Day

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had about setting up a national slavery memorial day; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Home Office Ministers have had a number of discussions in recent years with individuals and organisations advocating the setting up of a national slavery memorial day. I am currently discussing with ministerial colleagues how the Government will develop their contribution to the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade in 2007.

Somalia

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the implications of the political instability in Somalia for his policy of repatriation of Somalian asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: We continue to monitor closely political developments in Somalia and the progress of the transitional Somali Government. The new Somali Government is in the process of deciding where in southern Somalia to base itself and we are aware of the ongoing difficulties it faces in establishing its authority in the country.
	Each application is considered against the background of the latest available information about the situation in the country of origin. These sources include intergovernmental organisations, governmental sources and human rights organisations. Full account is taken of the ability of the individual concerned to reside safely in other parts of Somalia where it is not safe for them to return to their home area. Caseworkers have access to the Somalia Country report produced by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate Country of Origin Information Service as well as the Somalia Operational Guidance Note which assesses the most common types of asylum claims received and the circumstances in which they are likely to prove well founded or unfounded.

Stolen Artworks

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to establish a national database for stolen art and artefacts.

Hazel Blears: As a result of work to consider the business case for such a database, we have decided not to proceed with establishing one at this time:
	we are not convinced that it would have a significant impact on crime;
	we are not convinced that there is sufficient demand from, or that it would be sufficiently used by, the arts and antiques industry, or the public;
	we consider the costs too high given other priorities and the likely impact on crime; and
	we are not convinced that the database would become self-financing.
	A letter explaining our decision in more detail was sent to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee in October 2004.
	Instead of the database, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport published on 25 October guidelines to museums on the acquisition of cultural property. They have also provided funds and are working with the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council on the production of a website that will offer advice to anyone wishing to purchase art and antiquities, to help them avoid purchasing illegally traded items.
	We are also considering other options for tackling the wider market for stolen goods.

Stolen Artworks

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what discussions his Department has had with the Council for the Prevention of Art Thefts on the establishment of a national database for stolen art and artefacts;
	(2)  what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Council for the Prevention of Art Thefts and (b) the Association of Chief Police Officers on maintaining and publicising websites detailing lost or stolen artefacts.

Hazel Blears: During 2003, we received a proposal from the Council for the Prevention of Art Thefts (CoPAT) for the provision of a database of stolen artefacts, which my Officials discussed with them at the time. It did not, however, contain any provision for a publicly accessible website.
	Options of the type proposed by CoPAT were also considered as part of work carried out during 2004 to investigate the options and business case for such a database. Discussions were held with both CoPAT and representatives of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) as part of this work.
	ACPO is represented on the Department of Culture, Media and Sport's Enforcement Steering Group (along with the Home Office). The purpose of that Group is to discuss issues relating to the illicit trade in cultural property, including the possible provision of databases and websites. The decision not to proceed with the database was discussed in that forum.

Stolen Artworks

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) the website of the Metropolitan Police Art and Antiques Squad, (b) the website of TRACE and (c) the website of the Art Loss register in recovering art and artefacts stolen in the UK.

Hazel Blears: As part of work to consider the business case and options for a national database for stolen arts and artefacts, the degree to which stolen arts and artefacts were currently recovered and to what extent this would be improved by the provision of a national database was investigated.
	A number of forces were consulated, as well as the Art Loss Register. The two forces that responded on this issue did suggest that the database could improve rates of recovery. However, in each case this was based on very small numbers, so the overall impact would be small. The Metropolitan Police Service were not able to respond on this issue in the time available.
	The Art Loss Register stated that a significant proportion of property was recovered in 510 per cent. of their cases. They considered that this could be increased by up to 30 per cent. but only if the database was supported by experts who offered a service to the police, trade and public. We have not made any assessment of the effectiveness of TRACE.

Taser Weapons

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the use of Taser weapons by the police has resulted in serious injury; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The Defence Scientific Advisory Council's Sub-Committee on the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons (DOMILL) has produced three statements on the medical implications of the use of the Taser. Copies have been placed in the Library. DOMILL's view is that the risk of life-threatening or other serious injuries from Taser appears to be very low and certainly very much lower than that from conventional firearms.
	A Taser Deployment Form is completed on each occasion that Taser is deployed. These forms are passed to DOMILL, together with any post-incident medical assessments undertaken by the Force Medical Examiner. From examination of these reports DOMILL are content that the medical issues attributable directly or indirectly to laser use were not unexpected and are addressed by their extant statements.

Terrorism

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations his Department has received from (a) lobby organisations and (b) members of the public since 7 July on protection against terrorism.

Charles Clarke: We have received 128 letters from hon. Members and 305 letters from members of the public on protection from terrorism since 7 July. The number of letters from lobby organisations are not listed separately.

Together Campaign

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the 50 Action Areas in which the Together campaign has been pursued.

Hazel Blears: There are currently 10 Trailblazer Areas and 51 Action Areas across the country, designated as TOGETHER Action Areas, which will get extra help to tackle antisocial behaviour. They are as follows:
	51 Action Areas
	East of England:
	Tendring
	Great Yarmouth
	Harlow
	Ipswich
	Norwich
	Peterborough
	Southend on Sea
	Watford
	South East:
	Canterbury
	Dover
	Hastings
	Oxford
	Portsmouth
	Reading
	Slough
	Southampton
	South West:
	Bournemouth
	Exeter
	Gloucester
	Plymouth
	Swindon
	East Midlands:
	Derby
	Leicester
	Northampton
	Nottingham
	West Midlands:
	Coventry
	Hodge Hill
	Sandwell
	Wolverhampton
	North West:
	Wirral
	Blackburn
	Bolton
	Middlesbrough
	Newcastle upon Tyne
	South Tyneside
	Yorkshire and Humberside:
	Doncaster
	Hull
	Kirklees
	Wakefield
	York
	Wales:
	Cardiff
	Newport
	Swansea
	London:
	Hackney
	Southwark
	10 Trailblazer Areas
	Birmingham
	Brighton
	Bristol
	Camden
	Manchester
	Leeds
	Liverpool
	Sheffield
	Sunderland
	Westminster.

Torture

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that resources are available to the police to investigate credible allegations of criminal offences contrary to (a) section 1 of the Geneva Conventions Act 1957 and (b) section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 regardless of the nationality of the alleged victims and perpetrators.

Andy Burnham: The Metropolitan police has the lead responsibility for the investigation of offences under section 1 of the Geneva Conventions Act 1957 and section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. Provision towards the cost incurred is made through formula funding for the Metropolitan Police Authority.
	It is for each police authority to set a budget within the resources available to them and for each chief officer to decide how best to allocate available resources according to operational priorities and objectives.

Town Police Clauses Act

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and (b) females have been (i) charged and (ii) convicted in England and Wales of offences under section 36 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 in each year since 1984; and if he will make a statement on the operation of that section of the Act.

Paul Goggins: Statistics on the number of males and females charged with an offence are not centrally collected.
	Information taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings database on the number of males and females found guilty of sections 21, 28, 29, 35 and 36 under the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 at all courts England and Wales, 19842003 is contained in the table. It is not possible to separately identify the figures for section 36.
	Court statistics for 2004 will be available in late November.
	
		Number of males and females found guilty at all courts under certain offences under the Town Police Clauses Act 1847, England and Wales, 19842003(98)Offence description: Offences under the said sections excluding those involving disorderly behaviour, dogs, highways and drunkenness etc.Statute : Town Police Clauses Act 1847 SS 21, 28, 29, 35 and 36
		
			  Male Female 
		
		
			 1984 139 17 
			 1985 189 11 
			 1986 196 5 
			 1987 150 6 
			 1988 102 6 
			 1989 106 6 
			 1990 104 10 
			 1991 99 14 
			 1992 104 10 
			 1993 66 8 
			 1994 85 9 
			 1995 65 10 
			 1996 61 4 
			 1997 60 6 
			 1998 47 8 
			 1999 56 4 
			 2000 38 5 
			 2001 41 4 
			 2002 41 3 
			 2003 37 7 
		
	
	(98) These data are provided on the principal offence basis.

Unsolved Murders

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders committed in each year since 1980 in (a) Havering, (b) Greater London and (c) England and Wales remain unsolved.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the following table for the Metropolitan Police Service and England and Wales. The data are provided from the Homicide database which has data back to 1980 and has the outcome for each homicide. However, it does not hold data at a lower level than police force area. Data are also held on the recorded crime database but offences and outcomes are not linked.
	
		Homicides currently recorded by the police(99)
		
			  Metropolitan Police Service England and Wales 
			  Total currently recorded Unsolved Total currently recorded Unsolved 
		
		
			 1980 172 12 536 28 
			 1981 113 20 501 33 
			 1982 172 40 555 56 
			 1983 125 22 481 39 
			 1984 132 28 536 42 
			 1985 158 25 534 41 
			 1986 167 28 562 43 
			 1987 163 29 597 50 
			 1988 135 30 547 49 
			 1989 134 24 521 63 
			 1990 153 48 555 77 
			 1991 158 43 623 74 
			 1992 140 33 581 63 
			 1993 136 31 565 60 
			 1994 148 39 632 85 
			 1995 147 34 663 86 
			 1996 125 23 585 54 
			 1997 154 36 609 79 
			 199798 158 34 608 76 
			 199899 144 27 650 71 
			 19992000 172 43 679 93 
			 200001 177 44 772 96 
			 200102 182 56 808 133 
			 200203 179 44 964 135 
			 200304 205 56 833 174 
		
	
	(99) As at 22 October 2004; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.
	
		Crime and DisorderRecorded crime for six key offences 200203, 200304 and 200405
		
			   Violence against the person, offences recorded 
			 Force CDRP name 200203 200304 200405(100) 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset Bath and North East Somerset 1,544 2,000 2,685 
			 Avon and Somerset City of Bristol UA 8,868 11,420 13,086 
			 Avon and Somerset Mendip 1,114 1,546 1,850 
			 Avon and Somerset North Somerset 2,362 2,937 3,758 
			 Avon and Somerset Sedgemoor 1,242 1,702 1,746 
			 Avon and Somerset South Gloucester 1,902 2,298 3,008 
			 Avon and Somerset South Somerset 1,644 2,260 2,870 
			 Avon and Somerset Taunton Deane 1,583 1,890 2,000 
			 Avon and Somerset West Somerset 480 477 460 
			 Bedfordshire Bedford 2,311 2,358 2,912 
			 Bedfordshire Luton 3,371 3,824 4,416 
			 Bedfordshire Mid Bedfordshire 854 955 1,043 
			 Bedfordshire South Bedfordshire 1,562 1,670 1,766 
			 Cambridgeshire Cambridge 2,579 2,726 2,758 
			 Cambridgeshire East Cambridgeshire 822 833 745 
			 Cambridgeshire Fenland 1,518 1,835 1,589 
			 Cambridgeshire Huntingdonshire 2,111 2,157 2,070 
			 Cambridgeshire Peterborough UA 4,524 5,133 5,165 
			 Cambridgeshire South Cambridgeshire 1,020 979 1,031 
			 Cheshire Chester 1,653 1,904 2,031 
			 Cheshire Congleton 611 838 856 
			 Cheshire Crewe 1,293 1,849 1,802 
			 Cheshire Ellesmere Port and Neston 839 1,093 1,286 
			 Cheshire Halton 1,696 2,425 2,771 
			 Cheshire Macclesfield 1,377 1,638 1,806 
			 Cheshire Vale Royal 1,390 1,836 1,852 
			 Cheshire Warrington 1,843 2,491 3,204

Victims' Code of Practice

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress in the implementation of the Victims' Code of Practice.

Fiona Mactaggart: The final Code of Practice for Victims of Crime was laid before Parliament on 19 October 2005. The code will come into force in April 2006, however, criminal justice agencies are aiming to deliver as many of the obligations in the code as they can in advance of April 2006. The Office for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR) is working intensively with the criminal justice agencies, both nationally and locally, to assist them with delivery of the code.

Victims Fund

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when an announcement is expected to be made about the continuation of the Victims Fund beyond 31 March 2006.

Fiona Mactaggart: We have been considering the options for future funding schemes within the Victims Fund and expect to make an announcement shortly.

Violent Crime/Sexual Assaults

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to tackle (a) violent crime and (b) sexual assaults.

Hazel Blears: The information is as follows:
	(a) The Government are currently taking forward a very full range of work which will continue to reduce violent crime. We are, for example, introducing new measures which will give police and local communities the powers they need to tackle guns, knives and alcohol-related violence in the Violent Crime Reduction Bill which is currently before Parliament.
	Domestic violence is also a key priority. Our National Delivery Plan to tackle domestic violence provides support for victims, strengthens the Criminal Justice System to be more responsive to domestic violence cases and holds perpetrators to account.
	(b) The Government gives high priority to tackling sexual offending because of the nature and extent of the harm caused to victims.
	We have improved the care available to victims of sexual crime by developing the network of Sexual Assault Referral Centres and supporting complementary community-based services. We are committed to bringing more sexual offenders to justice. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 redefined and increased the penalties for many sexual offences.
	We are encouraging more victims to report sexual crime and specially trained police officers and prosecutors have been established to deal with rape cases. At court, we have introduced a range of measures to facilitate the giving of evidence by victims.
	The Government are particularly determined to ensure that child abuse is tackled rigorously and works with the police and other agencies to minimise the risk of children being sexually abused. We are establishing a centre which will target paedophiles using the Internet to distribute illegal images of and to groom children. Following the Bichard enquiry, wide-ranging action has been implemented to develop joined-up working between different agencies.
	We have developed the way that agencies work together to ensure that decisions about managing known sex offenders are based on the best information available. Based on evidence about what really works to reduce offending, programmes are being run in prisons and the community to educate sex offenders about the harm they have caused and bring them to realise what they need to do to stop offending.

Violent Crime/Sexual Assaults

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to tackle violent crime in Bedfordshire; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The Government are currently taking forward a very full range of work which will continue to reduce violent crime.
	In Bedfordshire, the Luton Safe and Bed Safe initiatives have made a serious impact on the reported level of violent crime in recent months and Bedfordshire police have been pro-active in tackling these issues. Community Support Officers have been pro-actively enforcing alcohol bans in designated areas. Additional officers are now on the streets on Friday and Saturday nights in town-centres where police strategy involves high-visibility patrols, pro-active use of CCTV and mobile CCTV, mobile police stations, anti-drug operations using sniffer dogs and electronic testing devices, and partnership work with licensees to ensure they take their responsibilities and obligations seriously.
	Further priorities are robberyOperation Falcon in South Bedfordshire has seen significant reductions in the number of robberiesand domestic violence where multi-agency approach has been adopted and best practice has been embedded.
	Nationally, there is a huge programme of work. We are, for example, introducing new measures which will give police and local communities the powers they need to tackle guns, knives and alcohol-related violence in the Violent Crime Reduction Bill which is currently before Parliament.
	Domestic violence is a key priority. Our National Delivery Plan to tackle domestic violence provides support for victims, strengthens the Criminal Justice System to be more responsive to domestic violence cases, holds perpetrators to account and provides resettlement for victims and rehabilitation packages for perpetrators through end-to-end offender management and the concept of a whole sentence plan.

Violent Crime/Sexual Assaults

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) gun crimes and (b) sexual assaults were recorded in each London borough in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The available information relates to (a) offences involving firearms, excluding air weapons, recorded by the Metropolitan Police Service since 199798 and (b) indecent/sexual assaults recorded by each of the Metropolitan Police's Basic Command Units since 200001.
	The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002 and statistics before and after that date are not directly comparable.
	The Sexual Offences Act 2003, introduced in May 2004, re-defined many sexual offences, including indecent assault. As such, data for 200405 and earlier years are not directly comparable.
	
		Table 3: Indecent/Sexual assaults recorded in the Metropolitan police force area by Basic Command Unit, 200001 and 200102
		
			 Basic Command Unit 200001 200102 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 135 136 
			 Barnet 142 161 
			 Bexley 135 143 
			 Brent 199 197 
			 Bromley 127 153 
			 Camden 195 251 
			 City of Westminster 301 317 
			 Croydon 236 238 
			 Ealing 223 219 
			 Enfield 179 189 
			 Greenwich 224 234 
			 Hackney 193 199 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 142 139 
			 Haringey 216 186 
			 Harrow 86 68 
			 Havering 119 109 
			 Heathrow 21 28 
			 Hillingdon 157 186 
			 Hounslow 173 177 
			 Islington 167 207 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 96 96 
			 Kingston upon Thames 87 98 
			 Lambeth 294 266 
			 Lewisham 239 248 
			 Merton 90 122 
			 Newham 187 217 
			 Redbridge 142 164 
			 Richmond upon Thames 56 67 
			 Southwark 287 274 
			 Sutton 66 81 
			 Tower Hamlets 183 214 
			 Waltham Forest 157 185 
			 Wandsworth 207 234 
			 Total 5,461 5,803 
		
	
	
		Table 4: Indecent/Sexual assaults recorded in the Metropolitan police force area by Basic Command Unit, 200203 to 200405
		
			 Basic Command Unit 200203(100) 200304 200405(101) 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 165 141 114 
			 Barnet 214 156 156 
			 Bexley 142 108 110 
			 Brent 172 201 138 
			 Bromley 157 153 140 
			 Camden 175 196 169 
			 City of Westminster 333 323 321 
			 Croydon 278 271 219 
			 Ealing 222 233 200 
			 Enfield 173 198 128 
			 Greenwich 215 221 159 
			 Hackney 202 203 203 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 170 159 111 
			 Haringey 219 246 183 
			 Harrow 84 78 76 
			 Havering 110 103 86 
			 Heathrow 20 18 26 
			 Hillingdon 165 135 143 
			 Hounslow 210 191 149 
			 Islington 199 205 143 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 102 119 102 
			 Kingston upon Thames 84 107 80 
			 Lambeth 304 248 244 
			 Lewisham 277 215 220 
			 Merton 109 103 103 
			 Newham 218 193 182 
			 Redbridge 145 158 146 
			 Richmond upon Thames 69 68 66 
			 Southwark 277 291 244 
			 Sutton 94 93 93 
			 Tower Hamlets 253 239 185 
			 Waltham Forest 178 162 111 
			 Wandsworth 234 222 202 
			 Total 5,969 5,807 4,952 
		
	
	(100) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002. Figures before and after that date are not directly comparable.
	(101) The Sexual Offences Act 2003, introduced in May 2004, altered the definition and coverage of sexual offences. Offences included in Tables 3 and 4: (a) up to and including April 2004indecent assault on a male, indecent assault on a female; (b) from May 2004sexual assault on a male aged 13 and over, sexual assault on a male child under 13, sexual assault on a female aged 13 and over, sexual assault on a female child under 13.

Youth Custody

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals under the age of 18 years are serving a custodial sentence in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: On 30 September 2005 there were 2,284 persons aged under 18 serving a custodial sentence in England and Wales. This comprised 1,897 in prison establishments, 184 in Local Authority Secure Children's Homes and 203 in Secure Training Centres.

Witnesses

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of the intermediary scheme provided for in the special measures for vulnerable witnesses under the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.

Fiona Mactaggart: Examination of a witness through an intermediary under section 29 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 is currently available in six pathfinder areas: Merseyside; West Midlands; Thames Valley; South Wales; Norfolk; and Devon and Cornwall. Evaluation of the pathfinders will be completed by the end of March 2006 after which plans will be made for further roll out of the scheme in England and Wales.
	The latest available information about the number of times that intermediaries have been used is given in the following table.
	We have issued recently information packs entitled 'What's my story?' and 'Intermediaries: Giving a voice to vulnerable witnesses' copies of which have been placed in the Library. These materials are being used to promote awareness and understanding of the intermediary scheme in the pathfinder areas.
	
		
			Area   Intermediary scheme start date Number of witnesses assisted by an intermediary as at 15 November 2005(102) 
		
		
			 Merseyside 23 February 2004 11 
			 West Midlands 13 September 2004 (Wolverhampton area) 20 
			  1 November 2004  
			 (all courts in West Midlands)  
			 Thames Valley 2 October 2004 51 
			 South Wales(103) 1 February 2005 2 
			 Norfolk 1 February 2005 5 
			 Devon and Cornwall(104) 20 June 2005 9 
			 Total  98 
		
	
	(102) Data refer to the number of witnesses for whom the Office for Criminal Justice Reform has provided a registered intermediary where the intermediary has, or is expected to, carried out a communication needs analysis relating to the witness or has assisted them to understand questions or to make their answers understood during a criminal investigation or trial.
	Data refer only to pathfinder areas where notification of availability of the intermediary special measure has been made in accordance with section 18(2) of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.
	(103) In South Wales trials are restricted to Cardiff Crown court, Cardiff magistrates courts, the Vale of Glamorgan magistrates courts, Newcastle and Ogmore magistrates courts, Miskin magistrates courts.
	(104) In Devon and Cornwall trials are restricted to Plymouth Crown court and Plymouth magistrates court.

Witnesses

Ian Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to improve support for witnesses who fear for their wellbeing if they give evidence in open court.

Fiona Mactaggart: Provisions in the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 enable a court to order that a witness who suffers fear or distress receives assistance through one or more special measures. These include live videolink, screens and clearing the public gallery. The court may also prohibit publication of information that would lead to public identification of the witness.
	Witnesses who are subject to serious intimidation may be provided with specific security measures as part of an on-going risk assessment by the relevant law enforcement agency and in some cases the witness may be relocated. At the end of its second year of operation in October 2005, the National Witness Mobility Service had handled over 300 witness relocation requests received through local police forces and social landlords.
	The Serious Organised Crime and Policing Act 2005 provides clear statutory rules and procedures governing witness protection which will be implemented fully by April 2006.
	Intimidation of a witness is an offence under section 51 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 in relation to criminal proceedings and section 39 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 in relation to civil proceedings.

Women's Prisons (Wales)

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will commission research into the effect on families of there being no prison for women in Wales.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Government are aware of the importance of family ties for all prisoners, especially women. A Home Office Resettlement Survey (Home Office Research Findings 248 2005) which included family ties issues for all prisoners was carried out in 2003. There are no current plans to commission specific research into the effect on families of there being no prisons for women in Wales.
	There are no plans, at present, to build a women's prison in Wales but accommodation requirements will be kept under review.

Young Offenders

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the levels of reoffending by young offenders were in (a) 200102, (b) 200203, (c) 200304 and (d) 200405.

Hazel Blears: Re-offending rates are not available but reconviction rates are a commonly used proxy for re-offending rates and reconviction rates are published annually by the Home Office.
	The most recent data are for those offenders who were discharged from prison, began a community sentence, or received a pre-court disposal in the first quarter of each of the years shown in the table.
	Reconviction rates should be used with caution as a number of different factors can influence them. Actual reconviction rates can be adjusted to take account of such factors to provide a like for like comparison with the 2000 baseline year. Where the actual rate is less than the predicted rate, the figures show a relative reductionlike for likewith the 2000 baseline. The most recent data show a reduction in re-offending of 2.4 per cent. against the 2000 baseline.
	The Home Office public service agreement target is to reduce re-offending by 5 per cent. by 2006.
	
		Reconviction rates: Percentage of juvenile offenders reconvicted within one year
		
			  Actual reconviction rate Predicted reconviction rate Difference between predicted and actual rate 
		
		
			 2003 36.9 37.8 -2.4 
			 2002 36.5 37.9 -3.6 
			 2001 35.3 37.0 -4.5 
			 2000 36.8

Youth Action and Engagement Framework

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the launch of the new national framework for youth action and engagement.

Hazel Blears: The Government believe that providing more young people with the opportunity to become involved in volunteering brings huge benefits, both to young people themselves and to the wider community. We are committed to implementing the national framework for youth action and engagement recommended by the Russell Commission and we have allocated up to 100 million over the next three years to do so.
	A key element of the framework is the creation of a dedicated implementation body, which will work in partnership with the voluntary and community sector, the private sector and with young people themselves, to deliver a step change in the quality and quantity of volunteering opportunities. Officials within the Home Office are working with Ian Russell to create this body as an independent charity. This work includes the recruitment of the chair, chief executive officer and board of the charity. An announcement on these key appointments will be made in December 2005 and we expect that the charity will be formally launched in spring 2006.

Youth Justice Board

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the work of the Youth Justice Board to improve its custodial capacity modelling capability referred to on page 153 of the 2005 Departmental Report.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office, the Office for Criminal Justice Reform and other stakeholders in the criminal justice system (CJS) have developed a model known as the 'CJS Model', overseen by the CJS Modelling Steering Group. The model mainly involves adult offenders with only a limited section relevant to 1017 year olds. The Youth Justice Board is in discussion with the Steering Group about the possibility of either extending the current model to cover young offenders or developing a new model specifically for 1017 year olds.
	This work is only at the feasibility stage. It is a difficult area of work which requires extensive resources. The Board is beginning to establish a small data analysis section, and part of its role will be to do modelling work relating to custodial numbers.

Youth Offending Teams

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress in filling front-line vacancies in youth offending teams.

Fiona Mactaggart: Staff in Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) are employed locally and not by the Youth Justice Board. The board supports recruitment and retention of front-line YOT staff, for example through its bespoke National Qualifications Framework for practitioners in the overall context of the Government Workforce strategy. It is also consulting on a Human Resources and Learning strategy 200608 and will be issuing guidance on workforce planning to support YOT managers. The vacancies for front-line practitioners in April 2004 was 5.9 per cent., a reduction from 6.5 per cent. in September 2003.

Zimbabweans (Naturalisation)

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to speed up the process for decisions on naturalisation in the UK of Zimbabweans.

Tony McNulty: There are no plans to treat Zimbabwean applicants for naturalisation differently from those of any other nationality. Any individual request for priority treatment will be considered on its merits.